They say you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, but apple cider vinegar is actually pretty good at attracting fruit flies. However, according to Food52, you can catch even more flies with an Aperol spritz.
[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2018/02/preserve-fruit-in-oxidised-vermouth/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/rfvmq86o2k0fyrtspb4k.png” title=”Preserve Fruit In Oxidised Vermouth” excerpt=”If you enjoy of martinis or Manhattans, you probably have a couple of bottles of vermouth on your bar cart. If you’re a lover of a fancy aperitif, you probably have more. These fortified wines are a lot of fun but, due to their lower ABV, they don’t last forever.”]
I don’t know if it’s because fruit flies have evolved into fancy lads, and thus become more discerning about their death traps, but something about the liqueur proved to be quite enticing when Food52 tested it out.
Serving the summer cocktail to fruit flies can get a little expensive however, and I just couldn’t bring myself to use perfectly good Aperol when I had a bottle of oxidised vermouth lying around.
The sweet, somewhat ripe-smelling alcohol provides a similar scent bouquet to help lure the flies to their demise, and using it this way makes me feel not quite so guilty about letting half a bottle of vermouth go bad. Of course, the vermouth you use doesn’t have to be oxidised – fresh vermouth will work just as well – but this is a great way to use up any that’s past its prime.
Just fill a little glass — a cocktail glass is fine if you wish to keep to the theme — with 30 to 60ml of oxidised vermouth; add some very ripe, cut fruit for good measure; and squirt in a bit of dishwashing liquid. Cover the glass with cling wrap, poke a few holes in it with a toothpick, and set your trap wherever you have the highest concentration of tiny, flying pests.
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