September 18th, 2026

Greetings from Carrboro,

My parents drank martinis. Due to my mother having lost a decisive battle with gin when I was very young, the martinis were always vodka and always on the rocks with a twist. At 12, my job titles around the house expanded to include bartender, eyeballing the portions of vodka and vermouth I poured into my parents’ preferred tumblers and then delivering the drinks to them on the porch with a shallow wooden bowl of Spanish peanuts.

So that was the extent of my knowledge of vermouth for most of my life. Martini & Rossi Extra Dry. Green bottle. Backup underneath the sink. It was the all-important glug after the initial three glugs of Smirnoff. It smelled bad and tasted worse. But somehow my parents thought my drinks hit the spot. Maybe that’s when the restaurant disease took hold.

I’m still not a fan of vodka. But vermouth, well, that’s another story. With over a thousand brands worldwide, you can easily push the liquor bottle aside; vermouth can take center stage. Along with amaro, vermouth has been the muse for bartenders during this new golden age of the cocktail. But it’s also capturing the imagination of a generation as something delicious to drink on its own. Straight or on ice with soda. With a wedge of citrus or plain. Day or night. You almost can’t go wrong.

This Tuesday, September 22nd, it is our great pleasure to welcome Elena Urbani, Global Brand Ambassador for one of Atlas and Acme’s faves, Mancino Vermouth, as we turn Atlas into a swanky vermuteria for the night. Starting at 5pm, Elena is going to get behind the sticks to teach a small, ticketed master class on vermouth and make some of her signature cocktails for everyone to taste. Elena has worked in some of the most highly regarded bars in Europe, so I think it’s fair to say that she knows what she’s doing. After the class, Elena is going to stick around and talk shop as we open our doors to all comers, pour tastes of the various vermouths in their portfolio, and offer our own favorite cocktails featuring Mancino. Basically, it’s a party that kicks off right around 6pm. Join us.

Honestly, if you have something better to do on a Tuesday, I’m jealous. And, yes, Spanish peanuts are included.

Well, that’s all the news from Carrboro. The staff at Acme look forward to serving you soon.

Cheers,
The Staff at Acme