The Golden Hour with Emerald Stay: Vermut and Wine from Costa Brava to Mallorca

One round turns into two, something small lands on the table, and before you notice, you are fully settled in.

It may start with that first order, but it quickly grows into more. Olives you keep reaching for, crisps that disappear, bread passed around, and the easy decision to order one more thing.

Some of these rituals begin earlier in the day, others closer to sunset, but they often find their way into this moment, when the day slows and the evening begins. In Costa Brava and in Mallorca, it comes with its own flavours and distinct way of gathering.

Costa Brava: The Ritual of Vermut

In Costa Brava, the hora del vermut (or ‘the hour of vermouth’) often begins in the early afternoon, around 12:00, and many times, carries naturally into a long, easy-going lunch. As the afternoon settles in, terraces fill, chairs turn towards the sun, and groups gather around small plates and something to sip. Paper napkins, a chilled glass, and the sound of chairs shifting as more people join.

Vermut is the centrepiece, served over ice with a slice of orange or an olive. Around it, small dishes appear: anchovies, olives, boquerones, berberechos, mussels (Spain is well-known for its top-tier tinned fish), crisps, and sometimes a few local specialities. Everything is simple, well chosen, and meant for sharing. It is this kind of setting that has travelled far beyond the coast, even finding its way into popular culture, with Rosalía⁠ sharing her own take on this familiar ritual, complete with crisps and a carefully poured serve.

You can step into this atmosphere almost anywhere: a small bar facing the sea, a shaded square in town, somewhere the menu is short, and you already know what to order. In places like Palamós, spots such as Vermuteria Xarel·lo⁠ and MalaUva Vins & Persones⁠ capture this ritual particularly well. Or, if you prefer something more private, it is just as easy to recreate at home.

How to bring a Costa Brava vermut to your table

What you’ll need (serves 3–4 people):

• 1 bottle of red vermut

• Ice cubes

• 1 orange, sliced

• A handful of green olives

• Crisps

• Anchovies or tinned seafood, such as boquerones, berberechos or mussels

Preparation

Fill a short glass with ice and pour the vermut until it reaches about two-thirds. Add the orange slice and olives, either dropped into the glass or skewered on a toothpick. Open the tins, place the anchovies on a small plate, transfer the olives into a bowl, and serve the crisps as they are, each in its own dish, ready to pick from. If you feel like doing it differently, you could also mix everything together, crisps, olives, and seafood, just as Rosalía did in her own take. Set it all at the centre, and you are ready to go.

From here, the moment rarely ends. What follows is the sobremesa, that unhurried time spent lingering after eating, where conversations stretch, another round is ordered without much thought, and no one is in a hurry to leave. In Costa Brava, this is where the early afternoon slowly gives way to the evening, and where what started as a simple vermut becomes something that lasts well into the golden hour.

Mallorca: Evenings with Wine and Hierbas

In Mallorca, the same ritual takes on a different tone. The light lingers a little longer, the pace softens, and the evening begins in a more personal setting, a terrace at home, by the water, or a corner of a village coming to life. In the north of the island, around Alcúdia, Sa Pobla, and Pollença, it often unfolds between quiet squares and small local spots, from more traditional addresses like U Gallet⁠ to terraces such as Cristal⁠ in Alcúdia, with the occasional more refined stop such as NŪ Mallorca⁠.

Some of the most enjoyable evenings begin earlier in the day, with a visit to a local market. A few well-chosen ingredients, something that caught your eye, perhaps a recommendation, and by the time you return, you already know what will make it to the evening.

Here, the food matters as much as what you have in your glass. A pour of local red, white, or rosé is often served first, as the evening settles in. Then comes a chilled hierbas mallorquinas, a local herbal liqueur traditionally enjoyed as a digestif, with notes of anise, wild herbs, and citrus. Around it, simple dishes are placed within easy reach: local cheeses, cured meats, almonds, and fresh bread with olive oil, often served with local tomatoes (known as tomàtiga de ramellet) rubbed or simply placed on the side. Nothing feels rushed, yet each element finds its place, and it often drifts into a sobremesa, where conversations continue, time stretches, and there is no real reason to get up just yet.

How to bring a Mallorca golden hour to your table

What you’ll need (serves 2–4 people):

• A bottle of local wine, white, rosé, or red

• A bottle of hierbas mallorquinas, served cold (highly recommended)

• Local bread Olive oil

• Local tomatoes, such as tomàtiga de ramellet

• Almonds

• Cheese and cured meats

Preparation

First things first, pour a glass of wine. Slice the bread, drizzle it with olive oil, and place it in the centre. Add a few small plates, cheese, cured meats, almonds, and the tomatoes, either rubbed onto the bread or served on the side, whatever you picked up earlier in the day. If you feel like it, bring out the hierbas, served cold, to sip alongside or later on. There is no real order to it. All of it sits within easy reach, ready to share, with no need to arrange it too carefully. It is less about presentation and more about sitting down and letting the evening take its time.

A Shared Way to Experience Place

These two destinations offer different ways to enjoy this time of day. In Costa Brava, it spills into terraces and busy squares, with a lively, social feel. In Mallorca, it can take many forms: a table by the sea, a terrace with friends, or a bar that slowly fills as the evening begins. Each setting brings its own energy, but the intention remains the same.

It is a time to gather, share something simple, and ease into the evening. What stays with you is rarely just the drink, but the atmosphere around it, the small details, and the people you share it with.

Because in the end, this is what stays with you, long after the evening ends.