Some afternoons in Piedmont still move slowly, and a glass of vermouth is poured the same unhurried way it was over a century ago. Strucchi's range is built on that patience – three vermouth and one bitter, bottled small enough to taste the whole story before committing to a full bottle.

Expert description

Strucchi Vermouth & Bitter Miniature Set is a collection of four 5 cl bottles from the Italian house Strucchi in Piedmont, made up of three styles of Vermouth di Torino and one Bitter Rosso, with an alcohol content ranging from 16% to 27%.

The name is a tribute to Arnaldo Strucchi, an Italian oenologist who published the monograph Il Vermouth di Torino in 1907. The book laid out how vermouth should be made to achieve a high and consistent quality, and its principles still underpin today's rules for the Consorzio del Vermouth di Torino. The modern Strucchi has taken both its name and its philosophy from him, and it still makes its range in Barbaresco, one of Piedmont's best-known wine villages.

All three vermouth are made from Italian white wine, aromatized with herbs and spices and fortified with alcohol. Bianco is light and floral with citrus and a mild bitterness underneath. Rosso is fuller, with orange peel and spice and a lingering, bittersweet finish. Dry is crisp and dry with a hint of ginger. Bitter Rosso stands apart, built on nine different botanicals including juniper and gentian, with a deeper, more complex character of rhubarb root, cinchona bark and a long finish.

All four spend time macerating and blending before resting for a couple of days so the flavours can settle together, ahead of bottling. The set works both as a quick way into Strucchi's style and as a practical way to keep several building blocks for classic aperitivo cocktails on hand at once.

Tasting notes

Nose

Bianco offers elderflower and wormwood, Rosso smells of orange peel and savoury herbs, while Dry is sharper with a touch of ginger. Bitter Rosso stands out with a deeper aroma of rhubarb and bitter herbs.

Palate

On the palate, Bianco is round with thyme, marjoram and rosemary. Rosso is sweeter and more spiced, with a clear note of orange peel. Dry is fresh and direct, while Bitter Rosso is the most intense of the four, with gentian and cinchona bark giving it real depth.

Finish

The vermouth all close with a mild, dry bitterness, most pronounced in Rosso. Bitter Rosso lingers the longest, leaving a warm, herbal finish built to stand up to ice and tonic.

Serving & Food Pairing

The vermouth are best served cool, around 10-12 degrees, in a small aperitivo glass or a white wine glass. Bitter Rosso can be served the same way over ice or used straight in cocktails. Salted almonds or olives suit Bianco well, while Rosso and Bitter Rosso both work nicely alongside cured ham, hard cheese and other classic aperitivo snacks. This set is made to be used, not left on a shelf – reach for it whenever it's time to mix a drink or simply enjoy a glass before dinner.

Specifications

Name: Strucchi Vermouth & Bitter Miniature Set 4x5 cl
Producer: Strucchi
Region/Country: Piedmont, Italy
Type: Vermouth di Torino & Bitter
Contents: Vermouth di Torino Bianco 5 cl, Vermouth di Torino Rosso 5 cl, Vermouth di Torino Dry 5 cl, Bitter Rosso 5 cl
ABV: Bianco 16%, Rosso 16%, Dry 18%, Bitter Rosso 27%
Size: 4x5 CL
Serving Temperature: 10-12 degrees
Glass Type: Aperitivo Glass

Flavour Profile

Herbal · Spiced · Bittersweet · Fresh · Complex · Round

Did you know?

Arnaldo Strucchi's 1907 book on Vermouth di Torino set out guidelines so influential that its principles are still recognised in today's official rules for the Vermouth di Torino designation – more than a century after it was written.

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In Barbaresco, where Piedmont's vineyards give way to the dry ridges above Turin, wormwood, bark and spice are still blended to a recipe first written down in 1907. The man behind it was Arnaldo Strucchi, a precise-minded oenologist whose book on vermouth would go on to define an entire region's craft.

Expert's Description

Strucchi Vermouth Rosso is a Vermouth di Torino from Piedmont made from Italian white wine with an alcohol content of 16%.

The name honours Arnaldo Strucchi, who in 1907 published Il Vermouth di Torino – a technical work that became the foundation for what Vermouth di Torino is today, and which later underpinned the protected geographical indication the region was granted in 2017. The modern Strucchi range was created by Paolo Dalla Mora and is produced in Barbaresco on the same principles: a white wine base aromatised with wormwood, spices, herbs and bark. In the Rosso, cinnamon and clove bring the spice forward, orange peel adds freshness, while marjoram, savory and sage contribute green, herbal tones. China bark – the bitter bark of the cinchona tree – gives the drink its long, dry finish and makes it just as suited to sipping neat as to standing behind the bar.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Warm and spiced, with cinnamon and clove leading, followed by orange peel and a touch of dried herbs. Underneath it all sits a faint bitter note from the china bark.

Palate

The palate opens sweet and full-bodied, with the white wine base carrying the spice and herbs. Marjoram and sage bring a green counterpoint to the sweetness, while bitterness from china bark and wormwood slowly takes over.

Finish

The finish is long and dry, with a lingering bitterness that ties the spices together and leaves a clean, herbal aftertaste.

Serving & Food Pairing

Serve Strucchi Rosso well chilled, ideally at 10-14°C, over ice with a splash of soda and a twist of orange or lemon peel for a classic vermuttino. The vermouth also forms the backbone of a Negroni or a Manhattan, where its spice and bitterness hold the rest of the drink together. At the table, it pairs well with olives, charcuterie, salted nuts and firm cheeses.

Specifications

Name: Strucchi Vermouth Rosso
Producer: Strucchi
Region/Country: Piedmont, Italy
Appellation/Classification: Vermouth di Torino
Vintage: Non-vintage (NV)
ABV: 16%
Size: 75 CL
Serving Temperature: 10-14°C
Glass Type: Tumbler or cocktail glass

Flavour Profile

Spiced · Bitter · Herbal · Fruity · Creamy

Did You Know?

The label on Strucchi Rosso was drawn by Piedmontese illustrator Riccardo Guasco and depicts Mata Hari – the dancer and alleged spy whose life ended in front of a French firing squad in 1917. The other bottles in the range carry different icons from the same era, including Greta Garbo on the Bianco and Josephine Baker on the Dry, making the whole series a small Art Deco tribute to the great figures of the 20th century.

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In Barbaresco, where the hills of Piedmont ripple with vineyards, Arnaldo Strucchi's vermouth legacy still lives on. A dry, herb-driven greeting from the city that gave the world Vermouth di Torino.

Expert description

Strucchi Dry Vermouth di Torino is a Vermouth with IGP status from Piedmont made on a base of Italian white wine with an alcohol content of 18%. Behind the bottle is Vermouth Strucchi Srl, a contemporary brand paying tribute to the oenologist Arnaldo Strucchi, who in 1907 wrote the book "Il Vermouth di Torino" and thereby laid the foundation for the rules that today define the Vermouth di Torino designation.

The vermouth is made using the classic method, where the white wine is aromatized with a bouquet of botanicals: wormwood, gentian, quassia and rhubarb form the bitter backbone, while marjoram, thyme, sage and rosemary sit as a spiced layer on top. Elderflower and orange peel add a touch of floral citrus, and a hint of ginger gives a warm, prickling edge to the finish.

The result is a dry vermouth markedly drier than many others in the category — a style built for the Martini, but equally at home on its own in the glass.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Delicate and herbal with notes of green grape, apple and a touch of floral sweetness from honeysuckle and acacia.

Palate

Dry and vinous with complex herbal character, good acidity and a hint of salinity that gives it a fine, fino sherry-like edge.

Finish

Long and slightly bitter, with a warm prickle of ginger that lingers well after the last sip.

Serving & Food Pairing

Best served cold, either on its own as an aperitif or stirred with gin for a classic Martini. Serve in a chilled cocktail glass or a small aperitif glass — decanting isn't necessary. The vermouth pairs naturally with green olives, salted almonds or a piece of parmesan, and its dry, herbal style also suits fish and light starters.

Specifications

Name: Strucchi Dry Vermouth di Torino
Producer/Winery: Vermouth Strucchi
Region/Country: Piedmont, Italy
Appellation/Classification: Vermouth di Torino IGP
Vintage: Non-vintage (NV)
ABV: 18%
Size: 75 CL

Flavour Profile

Dry · Herbal · Bitter · Saline · Spiced

Did you know?

The name Strucchi comes from the oenologist Arnaldo Strucchi, who in 1907 published the book "Il Vermouth di Torino" — a work so influential it later formed the basis for the official rules behind the Vermouth di Torino consortium.

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Picture Turin on a late afternoon in the 1920s. The cafés are filling up, glasses are clinking, and a glass of white vermouth is passed across the bar as a small welcome to the evening. That mood is exactly what Strucchi is trying to bring back.

Expert's description

Strucchi Vermouth di Torino Bianco is an Italian aromatised wine from Piedmont, spiced with wormwood and herbs, bottled at 16%.

The bottle belongs to a newer range of four products — Bianco, Rosso, Dry and a Bitter — created as a tribute to the oenologist Arnaldo Strucchi, whose 1907 book on Vermouth di Torino laid the groundwork for the rules that still define the style today. The base wine comes from Italy and first goes through a maceration, where herbs release their aroma into an alcohol-based solution. The wine is then fortified and aromatised with that herbal extract, before a two-day "mariage" rest lets the flavours settle together. Finally the vermouth is carefully filtered and tasted before bottling.

It's a Bianco in classic Turin style — sweet enough to feel approachable, but held up by a dry, herbal backbone that keeps it from ever tipping into cloying.

Taste

The nose offers white wine and green grapes with a touch of lime zest, bay leaf and a hint of baked apple. On the palate the same white wine acidity carries through, joined by marjoram, thyme and rosemary, while coriander adds a light citrus edge. The sweetness is kept in check by a fine bitterness, and the finish lands soft, with baked apple, a touch of cinnamon and a final, dry herbal note.

Specifications

Name: Strucchi Vermouth di Torino Bianco
Producer/Distillery: Vermouth Strucchi
Region/Country: Piedmont, Italy
Type: Italian Vermouth di Torino Bianco
Main ingredients/Flavourings: Italian white wine, wormwood, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, coriander
ABV: 16%
Size: 75 CL
Production method: Herb maceration, fortification and aromatisation of white wine, a two-day mariage rest and filtration
EAN no.: 8053178610023
Allergens: Contains sulphites
Serving suggestion: Best served chilled, over ice with a slice of orange or a twist of lemon peel. Also excellent in a Martini or a simple highball with tonic and fresh herbs

Flavour profile

Herbal · Dry · Lightly Sweet · Citrus-fresh · Slightly Bitter

Did you know?

Every bottle in the Strucchi range carries a portrait of an iconic woman or man from the early 1900s, drawn by Piedmontese artist Riccardo Guasco. The Bianco edition is dedicated to Greta Garbo, while the Rosso honours Mata Hari.

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There's something about an old Carpano label that brings back the whole story of Turin's coffee houses and stockbrokers. The dark red bottle with the wrapped-around label and the old gold seal isn't just a drink — it's a piece of Italian bar history from the days when you ordered your vermouth with hand signals.

Expert Description

Punt e Mes is a Vermouth Amaro from Carpano in Turin made from white wine infused with herbs and cinchona bark, with an alcohol content of 16.5%.

This bottle isn't the current version you'll find on any liquor store shelf. The label with its golden seal "Esportato in 82 Stati" and the text "Fondata in Torino nel 1786" belongs to an older bottling from when the Carpano family itself still ran production, before the brand was acquired by Fratelli Branca of Milan in 2001. The 1 liter format and the embossed detailing on the label make it a genuine find for anyone who collects old Italian spirits bottles rather than simply drinking from them.

The story behind the recipe itself dates back to 1870, when a stockbroker at Carpano's bar in Turin asked for his usual vermouth with an extra "half measure" of bitter cinchona bark added — in the local dialect, "punt e mes", a point and a half. The name stuck, and the recipe with over 40 herbs and spices, including orange peel and cinchona bark, remains largely unchanged today.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Herbaceous and lightly bitter, with a touch of orange peel, dried spices and a hint of caramel from the sweet white wine base.

Palate

Sweetness arrives first, quickly followed by the characteristic bitterness of cinchona bark. Notes of dark chocolate, cloves and ripe dark berries emerge along the way.

Finish

Long and bittersweet, with a final touch of orange peel and a dry, herbaceous close.

Serving & Food Pairing

Punt e Mes is traditionally served ice cold — the label itself carries the instruction "Si beve freddo". Serve it over ice with a slice of orange, or use it as the base in a Negroni or Americano. For food, it pairs well with dark chocolate, aged cheeses or salted nuts, where the bitterness ties the flavours together.

Specifications

Name: Punt e Mes
Producer: Carpano
Region/Country: Turin, Italy
Vintage: Non-vintage (NV)
ABV: 16.5%
Size: 100 CL
Sugar Content: 230 grams per liter
Serving Temperature: Cold, preferably over ice
Decanting Recommended: No
Glass Type: 2 x Tumbler glass included

Flavour Profile

Bitter · Herbaceous · Sweet · Spiced · Citrus

Investment Potential

Medium. This older 1 liter bottling with the original Carpano family label from before the 2001 Fratelli Branca acquisition is no longer produced in this form, and large-format bottles of historic Italian spirits brands are regularly sought after by collectors.

Did You Know?

The gold seal on the bottle reading "Esportato in 82 Stati" reveals that at the time, Carpano was exporting its vermouth to 82 countries — one of the early signs that the small bar in Turin had long since grown into a global name.

There's something about an old Martini bottle that makes time stand still for a moment. This one has sat somewhere for decades, its label slightly faded, with an old price tag that gives away it once passed through a German border shop that still priced in Deutsche Mark.

Expert's description

Martini Extra Dry is an Italian-style vermouth, in this case bottled in France by Martini & Rossi AG, headquartered in Bad Kreuznach, built on a white wine base infused with herbs, citrus extracts and the brand's signature Florentine orris root.

The recipe first launched on New Year's Day 1900, after ten years of development by Luigi Rossi's sons, and quickly became the backbone of the cocktail that would come to define the 20th century: the Dry Martini. The orris roots are grown for three years before being sun-dried and aged further, giving the vermouth its violet-tinged, faintly bitter undertone.

This particular bottle isn't part of today's range. It's an older bottling, likely from the 1980s or 90s, sourced through a German border shop rather than an ordinary wine merchant. Vermouth is an aromatized, fortified wine, and like any wine it changes character over decades – so this bottle is best thought of as a piece of packaging history and a collector's curiosity rather than a drinking recommendation.

Martini & Rossi itself dates back to 1863, when the company was founded in Turin under the name Martini, Sola & Cia. Today it's one of the world's most widely distributed vermouth brands, its striped racing-flag logo later made just as famous on the Formula 1 track.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sharp citrus and a touch of raspberry sit up front, backed by a soft, herbal scent of dried orris root and a faint trace of wood.

Palate

Dry without tipping into bitterness, with a hint of lemon and subtle botanicals unfolding over a white wine base.

Finish

Short and fresh, with a lightly bitter, aromatic close where orris and herbs take the lead.

Specifications

Flavour Profile

Dry · Citrus-forward · Herbal · Lightly bitter

Did You Know?

Martini & Rossi was originally called Martini, Sola & Cia when it was founded in Turin in 1863. The name only changed in 1879, after the Sola family sold their share of the company to the two remaining partners.

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Under a sun-faded label sits a small piece of Italian drinking history — a bottle that has stood untouched for decades, its story written in patina rather than polish.

Expert Description

This bottle is an antique Martini Rosso Vermouth from the Italian house Martini & Rossi in Torino. The label references the company's earlier name "Martini, Sola e C.", which was replaced by Martini & Rossi after the Sola family sold their share in 1879 — suggesting the bottle dates from around this period of transition, rather than from later production.

The front label is richly illustrated with a winged figure, flags from several nations and a wreath of medals inscribed "Premiati con 40 Medaglie", referencing the many exhibition awards the house won in the decades around 1870-1900 in cities such as Philadelphia and Alexandria. The neck label carries a handwritten-style seal typical of the era, and the bottle itself is made of dark, heavy glass — standard for vermouth production at the time, meant to shield the contents from light during long storage and transport.

Vermouth like this was originally created as a blend of wine fortified with sugar, alcohol and a secret mix of herbs and spices, including wormwood, which still forms the core of the recipe today. How old the liquid inside this particular bottle is, and whether the seal is intact or the fill level has dropped over time, cannot be established from the photographs alone.

Specifications

Did You Know?

The word vermouth comes from the German "Wermut", meaning wormwood — the bitter herb that originally gave the drink its distinctive character and still features in Martini's secret recipe today.

Please note: This bottle is sold as a collector's item. The quality of the contents cannot be guaranteed, and the bottle may show scratches and marks – see the photo.

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In Pessione just outside Turin, cinchona bark and spices have been simmered together since the 1800s, and the result is a bottle that still smells like an old-world apothecary and Italian aperitivo culture at once.

Expert Description

China Martini Aromatica is an Italian Aromatic Bitter Liqueur from Martini & Rossi, bottled at 31%.

The name is a little misleading, because "China" doesn't refer to the country but to cinchona bark, historically the source of quinine and a key weapon against malaria. The recipe traces back to Martini & Rossi's early years in Turin, where production was centralised in Pessione in 1864, still the company's home today. After the Second World War the bottling was renamed from Elixir di China to the name it carries now: China Martini.

The bottle featured here is an older release, with a label design, cap and tax seal typical of Italian spirits bottling from that earlier era — the kind of bottling vintage Amari and Italian aperitif collectors actively hunt for today.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose opens herbal and faintly medicinal, with the characteristic bitterness of cinchona bark and a whisper of dried orange peel and spice underneath.

Palate

The palate is bittersweet and layered, with orange and citrus meeting a deep herbal bitterness — a balance of sweetness and edge typical of a classic Italian digestif.

Finish

The finish is long and dry, with the bitterness of the cinchona bark the last thing to linger.

Specifications

Flavour Profile

Bitter · Herbal · Spiced · Citrus · Aromatic

Investment Potential

Medium – vintage bottlings from Martini & Rossi's earlier production periods hold a firm place with collectors of Italian Amari and aperitifs, and this bottle's label design is no longer in production.

Did You Know?

The original label still carries the old serving suggestions: neat, over ice with soda water, or with hot water and a slice of lemon — a small handbook in how Italians themselves drank their China Martini decades ago.

Please note: This bottle is sold as a collector's item. The quality of the contents cannot be guaranteed, and the bottle may show scratches and marks – see the photo.

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Some bottles carry more history than what's printed on the label. This Martini Bianco has sat through decades on shelves and in cabinets, still wearing its old emblem of the winged victory, the flags, and the forty medals across its chest.

Expert Description

This Martini Bianco Vintage Vermouth is an Italian vermouth from Martini & Rossi in Turin, made from white wine flavoured with herbs, spices, and beet sugar.

The label is of an older design featuring the "Premiati con 40 Medaglie" emblem and a German-language back label reading "Italienischer Wermutwein," pointing to a bottle intended for the German or Central European market. Martini Bianco was originally launched in 1910 under the name "Bianchissimo," inspired by the white flowers of the vanilla plant, and remains a lighter, milder style than the red Martini Rosso.

The bottle has never been opened, and its contents show the golden-green colour typical of aged vermouth. Because vermouth is wine-based, its taste and aroma shift over decades even unopened, so today the bottle's main value lies in the label, the history, and its rarity rather than in the liquid itself.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The original Martini Bianco is known for a perfumed nose of citrus, peach, and raspberry with a touch of tobacco and fresh bay leaf. At this age, expect a more oxidised, muted character.

Palate

The base recipe offers a sweet, honeyed character with lemon, ginger, and cinnamon. On a bottle this old, the exact taste can't be predicted without opening it.

Finish

Original Martini Bianco closes on sweet stewed apple and cinnamon. This bottle's actual finish is unknown and shouldn't be expected to match a new bottle.

Specifications

Flavour Profile

Sweet · Herbal · Citrus · Vanilla

Investment Potential

Medium-high. The older label design with "Premiati con 40 Medaglie" and the German back label is no longer in production, and the bottle is sought after by collectors of vintage barware and vermouth labels rather than for consumption.

Did You Know?

The medal banner on the label refers to honours Martini & Rossi won at international exhibitions in Philadelphia and Paris in the latter half of the 1800s — and the company kept printing them on the label for decades afterward.

Bottles like this one sat on bar shelves long before anyone thought to call a cocktail a "signature drink." This green glass bottle, with its worn, old-world label, belongs to an era when Vermouth Sec from Turin was itself the mark of European sophistication.

Expert's Description

Martini Extra Dry Vermouth 1 Liter is a dry, herb-infused vermouth from the Italian house Martini & Rossi, bottled in an older label design no longer found on current shelves. This particular bottle was filled for the German market by Martini & Rossi AG in Bad Kreuznach, as shown on the back label alongside serving instructions printed in German and English.

Martini Extra Dry has always been the driest of the house's classic styles, and it has served as the backbone of the Dry Martini cocktail for well over a century. The recipe starts from a white wine base infused with an extract of barks, roots and herbs, holding bitterness in check in favour of a clean, almost delicate character.

The label design on this bottle predates what's sold in shops today, and it's exactly this kind of discontinued packaging variant that collectors keep an eye out for. Pinning down precisely when this bottling was made requires checking the base of the bottle or under the cap for a date or batch code.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Delicate and perfumed, with raspberry, a touch of honeydew melon and a citrus edge of lemon peel, tied together by a light floral note of acacia.

Palate

Apple skin and a hint of orris root lead the way, with rootier notes surfacing mid-palate without ever tipping into dryness — the bitterness is present, but it never smothers the fruit.

Finish

Light and spiced, with cinnamon and white peach that fade quietly rather than lingering.

Specifications

Investment Potential

Low to medium. The liquid itself carries no collector value, but the discontinued label design and the older German bottling make this bottle of interest to anyone collecting vintage bar memorabilia and Martini & Rossi's history.

Did You Know?

The name of the Martini cocktail most likely doesn't come from the gin brand of the same name at all, but from this very vermouth — recipes for a gin-and-vermouth drink featuring Martini already existed in 1888, long before anyone called the drink itself a "Martini."

Please note: This bottle is sold as a collector's item. The quality of the contents cannot be guaranteed, and the bottle may show scratches and marks – see the photo.

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Some bottles carry more history than what's printed on the label. This Martini Bianco has sat through decades on shelves and in cabinets, still wearing its old emblem of the winged victory, the flags, and the forty medals across its chest.

Expert Description

This Martini Bianco Vintage Vermouth is an Italian vermouth from Martini & Rossi in Turin, made from white wine flavoured with herbs, spices, and beet sugar.

The label is of an older design featuring the "Premiati con 40 Medaglie" emblem and a German-language back label reading "Italienischer Wermutwein," pointing to a bottle intended for the German or Central European market. Martini Bianco was originally launched in 1910 under the name "Bianchissimo," inspired by the white flowers of the vanilla plant, and remains a lighter, milder style than the red Martini Rosso.

The bottle has never been opened, and its contents show the golden-green colour typical of aged vermouth. Because vermouth is wine-based, its taste and aroma shift over decades even unopened, so today the bottle's main value lies in the label, the history, and its rarity rather than in the liquid itself.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The original Martini Bianco is known for a perfumed nose of citrus, peach, and raspberry with a touch of tobacco and fresh bay leaf. At this age, expect a more oxidised, muted character.

Palate

The base recipe offers a sweet, honeyed character with lemon, ginger, and cinnamon. On a bottle this old, the exact taste can't be predicted without opening it.

Finish

Original Martini Bianco closes on sweet stewed apple and cinnamon. This bottle's actual finish is unknown and shouldn't be expected to match a new bottle.

Specifications

Flavour Profile

Sweet · Herbal · Citrus · Vanilla

Investment Potential

Medium-high. The older label design with "Premiati con 40 Medaglie" and the German back label is no longer in production, and the bottle is sought after by collectors of vintage barware and vermouth labels rather than for consumption.

Did You Know?

The medal banner on the label refers to honours Martini & Rossi won at international exhibitions in Philadelphia and Paris in the latter half of the 1800s — and the company kept printing them on the label for decades afterward.

Some bottles just sit on a shelf. Others have lived an entire life before ever being opened. This one belongs to the second kind — a faded old bottle of Martini Rosso, its label gone soft and golden with decades in the dark, still carrying the coat of arms from an era when Martini & Rossi signed itself under a different name.

Expert's description

Martini Rosso Vermouth is an Italian vermouth from Martini & Rossi in Turin, made from a secret blend of botanicals added to white wine with caramel for its signature red colour.

This particular bottle carries the classic ornate label reading "Premiati con 40 Medaglie" and the company name "Martini e Rossi Successori Martini, Sola e C." — a label design that dates back to the late 1800s but was reused unchanged for decades afterwards. The back tells a different story: printed in German, with serving suggestions and an illustrated glass under the heading "Martini on the rocks!" — a style typically associated with the 1950s, when Martini exported heavily into German-speaking markets. The combination of the older front and the more modern back makes this bottle a small snapshot of transition in Martini & Rossi's packaging history.

The bottle holds 70 cl and shows neither size nor alcohol percentage printed visibly on the label, which is typical of several older Martini bottlings from the same period.

Tasting notes

Nose

Classic Martini Rosso is built on wormwood, quinine bark and bitter botanicals, typically showing dried orange peel, caramel and a light bitter herbal edge. On a bottle this old, the aroma will likely be muted and more oxidised than a fresh one.

Taste

The recipe behind Rosso is known for combining wormwood, quassia, savory and thyme, carried by sweetness from caramel and dried fruit. In a bottle from this era, the flavour has almost certainly evolved considerably over the decades.

Finish

Traditionally a bittersweet finish with herbs and a touch of wood. On an old, unopened bottle, the finish is a matter of theory rather than experience, since the contents should not be consumed.

Specifications

Flavour profile

Spiced · Bittersweet · Herbal · Caramel-coloured · Historic

Investment potential

Medium. Older, unopened Martini bottles with a well-preserved label carry steady collector interest, especially when the front label is as clearly legible as this one. Value depends far more on label condition and fill level than on rarity itself, since Martini & Rossi produced vermouth in large volumes throughout this period.

Did you know?

The small winged female figure with the trumpet at the top of the label is an allegory of Fame — taken from a gold medal Martini won in Paris in 1878 — and she's stood in that same pose on the label for more than a century.

Please note: This bottle is sold as a collector's item. The quality of the contents cannot be guaranteed, and the bottle may show scratches and marks – see the photo.

See our full range of Martini Vermouth

A dusty warehouse in Pessione outside Turin, barrels of cinchona bark ageing in the dark, and a recipe that has outlived two world wars and a kingdom. That's where this bottle's story starts.

Expert's Description

Elixir Di China Aromatico by Martini & Rossi is an Italian aromatic bitter liqueur based on cinchona bark, bottled at 31%.

The recipe dates back to 1863, when Martini & Rossi began producing and selling this bitter liqueur under the name "Elixir di China" – made with genuine Corteccia di China Calissaia, the bark of the cinchona tree, historically valued for its quinine content and used against malaria. After the Second World War, the company renamed the product China Martini, the name it still carries today.

The label on this particular bottle is an older type than the China Martini bottles typically found at wine merchants and auction houses today. It references "Antichi provveditori di S.M. il Re d'Italia" – meaning royal warrant holder to the Italian King – but that kind of prestige text was kept on Italian labels for years after the monarchy ended in 1946, so it can't be used to date the bottle reliably. The government excise stamp around the cap can, however. Its wording, "Imposta Fabbricazione Spiriti" and "Contrassegno di Stato," the volume expressed in litres, and the Italian Republic's star emblem all belong to a stamp type used exclusively between 1953 and 1959. This bottle was therefore filled sometime in that decade, most likely in its second half.

The bottle holds 100 CL, a full litre – a size rarely seen today, when 70 CL is the standard. That matches the stamp's own stated format, "da litri 1."

Tasting Notes

Nose

Bitter cinchona bark, dry herbal spice, and a touch of orange peel, in the style of a classic Italian amaro.

Palate

Strongly bitter and herbaceous, with deeper notes of rhubarb and gentian beneath the characteristic China bitterness.

Finish

Long and dry, with a lingering bitterness that fades into dried herbs.

Specifications

Name: Elixir Di China Aromatico
Distillery: Martini & Rossi
Region/Country: Piedmont, Italy
Type: Liqueur (Italian Aromatic Bitter Liqueur)
ABV: 31%
Size: 100 CL
Bottled: 1950s

Flavour Profile

Bitter · Herbaceous · Spiced · Citrus notes

Investment Potential

Medium. Older Martini & Rossi Elixir bottles regularly change hands on international auction houses like Catawiki, and demand for well-preserved, sealed examples of this earlier "royal warrant" label style outpaces demand for the more common 1950s-70s editions that circulate most often in the market.

Did You Know?

The small excise stamp around the cap is actually more reliable for dating this bottle than the label itself. The text "Antichi provveditori di S.M. il Re d'Italia" refers to the Italian King, but that kind of royal prestige wording was kept on labels for years after Italy became a republic in 1946. The stamp's own design – with the Republic's star emblem and its volume stated in litres – was only used from 1953 to 1959, and that's what actually gives the bottle away.

Please note: This bottle is sold as a collector's item. The quality of the contents cannot be guaranteed, and the bottle may show scratches and marks – see the photo.

See our full range of Liqueur

There's something about a yellowed label with faded red and green scrollwork that tells you more than any tasting note ever could. This bottle sat on a shelf long before anyone thought of "bottling date" as a marketing word.

Expert's Description

China Martini Bitter Liqueur is an Italian herbal bitter from Martini & Rossi made from genuine cinchona bark and bottled at 32%. The recipe dates back to 1887 and remains one of the house's most closely guarded secrets — the exact proportions of herbs, flowers and cinchona bark are known to only a handful of people at the distillery. This particular bottle wasn't bottled in Turin, but under licence by Martini & Rossi Aktiengesellschaft in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, as shown clearly by the "Deutsches Erzeugnis" mark at the bottom of the label. A German licensed bottling like this tells its own story about how Martini & Rossi, in the decades after the war, chose to produce closer to German consumers rather than export everything from Italy. Cinchona bark is the natural source of quinine, and the liqueur has historically been used both as a digestif and, in more folk-medicinal circles, against fever and digestive troubles. On the back of the bottle, the original serving suggestions are still printed in German: neat, with ice and soda water, or with hot water and a twist of lemon peel.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dry and herbal with a hint of bitter orange peel, gentian, and a faint medicinal note from the cinchona bark.

Palate

Bittersweet with notes of caramelised sugar, dried herbs, and a sharp citrus edge.

Finish

Long and bitter with a dry, herbal close reminiscent of an old apothecary cabinet.

Specifications

Flavour Profile

Bitter · Herbal · Spiced · Citrus notes

Investment Potential

Medium – German licensed bottlings of China Martini marked "Deutsches Erzeugnis" surface rarely, and the original recipe and strength were discontinued long ago in favour of today's weaker version. Collectors of vintage Italian bitter liqueurs and Martini & Rossi memorabilia seek out bottles like this one.

Did You Know?

Today's China Martini is only sold at 25% alcohol – so the bottle you're looking at here is noticeably stronger than the version available today.

Please note: This bottle is sold as a collector's item. The quality of the contents cannot be guaranteed, and the bottle may show scratches and marks – see the photo.

See our full range of Liqueur

A black bottle with faded red and blue on the label. This is what a bottle of vermouth looked like long before Cinzano became a global cocktail-bar standard – back when the name was still tied to a small confectionery shop in Turin, not a factory.

Expert's Description

This Cinzano Vermouth is a vintage collector's bottle from Francesco Cinzano & C. in Turin, Italy, bottled in a one-litre format.

The Cinzano name dates back to 1757, when brothers Giovanni Giacomo and Carlo Stefano Cinzano ran a small confectionery shop in Turin and experimented with distilling, infusing and sweetening wines with alpine herbs. The recipe quickly earned recognition, and by 1786 the Piedmontese court had named the brothers its preferred supplier of Vermouth Rosso. Over time, the business grew from a confectionery shop into an internationally recognised wine house under the name Francesco Cinzano & C., a name this bottle's label still bears witness to, from a period before the brand became part of a global group.

Tasting Notes

This bottle is a vintage collector's item and is regarded primarily as a piece of history rather than a bottle meant for drinking today. As the condition of its contents after decades cannot be verified, we're not providing specific tasting notes for this particular bottle.

Specifications

Distillery: Francesco Cinzano & C.
Region: Turin, Italy
Type: Vermouth
Size: 1 litre
Edition: Vintage collector's bottle, label style points to the 1950s

Investment Potential

As a genuine vintage collector's bottle with no printed vintage year, and a label carrying its own patina, this Cinzano bottle is drawing growing interest from collectors of vintage spirits and bar memorabilia. The bottle dates from an early period in the history of Francesco Cinzano & C., before the brand became part of a global group, making it a rare piece of vermouth history. Its investment potential is assessed as medium, as the bottle could rise further in value as a collector's item, though concrete auction data for this specific example doesn't exist.

Flavour Profile

Vintage, Rare, Historic, Collector's Item

Did You Know?

The Cinzano name comes from two brothers who originally ran a confectionery shop in Turin in 1757 – long before the company became synonymous with vermouth and, later, global cocktail culture.

There's something about a bottle that has travelled through decades without being opened – a weight of history, Roussillon sunshine and a whisper of cinchona bark that still recalls old pharmacy shelves and café tables. Byrrh Vin-Aperitif carries that legacy into every glass.

Expert's Description

Byrrh Vin-Aperitif is a French aromatised wine aperitif from Thuir in Roussillon, made from red wine, mistelle and cinchona bark, with an alcohol strength of 17%. The aperitif was created in 1866 by brothers Simon and Pallade Violet, two cloth merchants from Thuir who spotted an opportunity in the era's wine boom and developed a tonic spiced with cinchona bark, initially sold as a health remedy through pharmacies to sidestep the strict competition rules governing aperitifs at the time. The trademark was registered in 1873, and the name Byrrh is said to derive from a code on a fabric sample card. Between the world wars, Byrrh became one of France's best-selling aperitifs, and by 1935 it accounted for more than half of the French aperitif market. Since 1977, Pernod Ricard has produced Byrrh in the historic cellars in Thuir, part of which were designed by the engineer Gustave Eiffel.

The base is dry red wine from Roussillon, primarily made from Carignan and Grenache grapes, blended with mistelle and infused with crushed cinchona bark and spices such as cinnamon, bitter orange peel, gentian, chamomile and cocoa, before the blend is matured in large oak casks for several years.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Port-like on the nose, with dark dried fruit, caramel and a light bitter herbal tone.

Palate

The palate is full-bodied and rich with coffee, cocoa and a distinct bitterness from the cinchona bark.

Finish

The finish is long and dry, with lingering bitterness and warm spice.

Specifications

Distillery: Caves Byrrh
Region: Thuir, Roussillon, France
Type: Aromatised Wine Aperitif
ABV: 17%
Size: 70 CL
Serving suggestion: Enjoy chilled over ice with a slice of lemon, or as the base of classic cocktails such as the Trocadero.

Flavour Profile

Port-like · Bitter · Cinchona Bark · Coffee · Full-bodied

Did You Know?

Byrrh appeared as an advertising sign in several classic films, including Alfred Hitchcock's Rich and Strange from 1931 and Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan from 1998.

In Marseillan, where the Mediterranean laps against the Étang de Thau, the same oak casks have stood beneath the open sky for more than 200 years, while sun and salt air have slowly shaped an entire vermouth tradition. Noilly Prat Rouge Vermouth is the house's answer to Marseillan's warmer, spiced side.

Expert's Description

Noilly Prat Rouge Vermouth is a French Vermouth Liqueur from Maison Noilly Prat in Marseillan, made from white wine infused with a secret blend of herbs and spices, with an alcohol strength of 16%. The house was founded in 1813 by herbalist Joseph Noilly, who developed France's first vermouth roughly 50 years before the Italian house of Martini, and the Noilly Prat name remains inseparable from the Mediterranean port town of Marseillan. While the house's dry vermouth is traditionally aged outdoors in oak casks beneath the open sky, Rouge follows a different path: the wine, made from Picpoul and Clairette grapes grown in the Languedoc, is infused with around 20 selected herbs and spices, including sweet orange from Spain, cinnamon from Sri Lanka, cloves from Madagascar and cinchona bark from Ecuador. Half of the wine matures in oak casks in the house's Chai St Louis, while the rest rests in large vats, before the two parts are blended into the deep, reddish-brown vermouth.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark red berries, sweet spice and a touch of herbal bitterness meet on the nose.

Palate

The palate is warm and full-bodied with caramelised tones, macerated herbs and a wine-like depth.

Finish

The finish is long, with candied fruit, fine spice and a light, balanced bitterness.

Specifications

Distillery: Maison Noilly Prat
Region: Marseillan, Languedoc, France
Type: Vermouth Liqueur
ABV: 16%
Size: 70 CL
Serving suggestion: Enjoy over ice with a slice of orange, or as the base of a Manhattan or Negroni.

Flavour Profile

Reddish-brown · Spiced · Caramel · Bitter Orange · Full-bodied

Did You Know?

Even though Noilly Prat Rouge has a deep reddish-brown colour, it is made from white wine just like the rest of the house's range – the colour comes entirely from the herbs and spices in the recipe.

See our full range of Noilly Prat Vermouth at Whisky.dk.

There's something about a yellowed label with faded red and green scrollwork that tells you more than any tasting note ever could. This bottle sat on a shelf long before anyone thought of "bottling date" as a marketing word.

Expert's Description

China Martini Bitter is an Italian herbal bitter from Martini & Rossi made from genuine cinchona bark and bottled at 32%. The recipe dates back to 1887 and remains one of the house's most closely guarded secrets — the exact proportions of herbs, flowers and cinchona bark are known to only a handful of people at the distillery. This particular bottle wasn't bottled in Turin, but under licence by Martini & Rossi Aktiengesellschaft in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, as shown clearly by the "Deutsches Erzeugnis" mark at the bottom of the label. A German licensed bottling like this tells its own story about how Martini & Rossi, in the decades after the war, chose to produce closer to German consumers rather than export everything from Italy. Cinchona bark is the natural source of quinine, and the liqueur has historically been used both as a digestif and, in more folk-medicinal circles, against fever and digestive troubles. On the back of the bottle, the original serving suggestions are still printed in German: neat, with ice and soda water, or with hot water and a twist of lemon peel.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dry and herbal with a hint of bitter orange peel, gentian, and a faint medicinal note from the cinchona bark.

Palate

Bittersweet with notes of caramelised sugar, dried herbs, and a sharp citrus edge.

Finish

Long and bitter with a dry, herbal close reminiscent of an old apothecary cabinet.

Specifications

Flavour Profile

Bitter · Herbal · Spiced · Citrus notes

Investment Potential

Medium – German licensed bottlings of China Martini marked "Deutsches Erzeugnis" surface rarely, and the original recipe and strength were discontinued long ago in favour of today's weaker version. Collectors of vintage Italian bitter liqueurs and Martini & Rossi memorabilia seek out bottles like this one.

Did You Know?

Today's China Martini is only sold at 25% alcohol – so the bottle you're looking at here is noticeably stronger than the version available today.

Please note: This bottle is sold as a collector's item. The quality of the contents cannot be guaranteed, and the bottle may show scratches and marks – see the photo.

In the hills outside Turin, where Piedmont's vineyards meet the golden light of evening, a vermouth was born to celebrate Italy's aperitivo culture. Cucielo Dry is made for moments when time is allowed to fly, with a recipe that bridges old-world craftsmanship and a new generation's taste for the crisp and bitter.

Expert's Description

Cucielo Vermouth di Torino Dry is an Italian Vermouth based on white wine with 18% alcohol, produced at Torino Distillati in Moncalieri, Piedmont.

The Cucielo brand was founded in 2018 by Andy Holmes, CEO of Artisan Spirits, working alongside master blender Carlo Vergnano. The name Cucielo combines the Italian words cuculo, cuckoo, and cielo, sky, inspired by the cuckoo's annual migration across Italy. Following the success of Cucielo Rosso and Bianco, the house launched a dry expression in 2022, created specifically for the classic Martini.

Cucielo Dry is flavoured with, among other botanicals, Aloe Ferox, sweet and bitter orange peel from Calabria, elderflower, dried Sicilian lemon peel and cardamom, and is made following the techniques underpinning the Vermouth di Torino designation, recognised as a protected EU appellation in 2017.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose is dry and refreshing with fresh Sicilian citrus, light herbal bitterness, elderflower and cardamom.

Palate

The palate offers crisp green apple, bittersweet citrus, elderflower, fresh ginger and warm spices.

Finish

The finish is exceptionally long and mineral.

Specifications

Distillery: Cucielo
Region/Country: Moncalieri, Piedmont, Italy
Type: Italian Vermouth – Vermouth di Torino Dry
ABV: 18%
Size: 50 cl
Serving suggestion: Serve dry in a classic Martini, or with tonic and a slice of citrus

Flavour Profile

Citrus · Herbal · Mineral · Dry · Spicy

Did you know?

Cucielo's mascot is a cuckoo named Chuck, dressed in a pilot's cap and scarf, honouring the bird's annual journey from West Africa to Scotland and back along the full length of Italy.

On the label, colours explode like an early-twentieth-century Futurist painting - a visual promise of what awaits in the glass. Bitteroma Bianco is the Carta family's bright, golden answer to the classic Sardinian bitter.

Expert's Description

Bitteroma Bianco Silvio Carta is an Italian Bitter from Sardinia, bottled at 25.3% alcohol.

The bitter is the bright counterpart to the family's Bitteroma range, and its label draws on Italian Futurism, an art movement known for its explosive colours and forms. Like the rest of the range, it is made in Baratili San Pietro in Sardinia, where Silvio Carta has, since the early 1950s, been turning the island's raw materials into wine, vermouth and bitter.

Tasting Notes

Nose

A bright straw-yellow colour with golden reflections, and an aroma of herbs, a hint of honey and soft notes of lemongrass.

Palate

Viscous and explosive on the palate, with a bold flavour that engages the whole mouth and cleanses the taste buds.

Finish

A very long finish that keeps surprising with new layers of herbs and citrus.

Specifications

Distillery: Silvio Carta
Region/Country: Sardinia, Italy
Type: Italian Bitter
ABV: 25.3%
Size: 100 cl
Serving suggestion: Enjoy over ice with a slice of citrus, or use it to add surprise to a spritz or cocktail.

Flavour Profile

Honeyed, Lemongrass, Herbal, Explosive, Golden

Did You Know?

Did you know that the label of Bitteroma Bianco is inspired by Italian Futurism, the art movement that in the early 1900s celebrated speed, colour and renewal?

Explore the full range of Italian Bitter at Whisky.dk.

In the glass lies five years of quiet oak ageing, wrapped in Mediterranean herbs and a whisper of vanilla. This is a family tradition that travelled from the Alps to the sun-drenched vineyards of Valencia.

Expert's Description

Valsangiacomo Vermut Reserva is a Spanish vermouth made from the white Macabeo grape, bottled at 15% ABV and aged for five years in American oak barrels. The vermouth comes from the wine house Cherubino Valsangiacomo, whose story began in 1831 in the small Swiss town of Chiasso, where Vittore Valsangiacomo founded a winery bearing his own name. The family later moved its winemaking to Spain, and today the business is run from Chiva near Valencia by the fifth generation of the Valsangiacomo family.

The vermouth recipe itself dates back to 1904 and follows Benedetto Valsangiacomo's traditional formula, originally sold under the name Vermouth Vittore in honour of the founder. In 2016 the fifth generation chose to honour the family's 185-year winemaking history by giving the vermouth the family's own surname: Vermut Valsangiacomo Reserva. The base wine is infused with 24 botanicals of Mediterranean and Alpine origin, including gentian, wormwood, coriander, savory, sage, marjoram, chamomile, elderflower and orange peel, before the vermouth rests for five years in an American oak barrel.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Floral, balsamic aromas meet a soft sweetness of vanilla from the oak.

Palate

Full-bodied and expressive, with herbs unfolding alongside a gentle bitterness and warmth from the oak.

Finish

Long and dry, with a touch of dried herbs and caramelised vanilla.

Specifications

Distillery: Cherubino Valsangiacomo
Region/Country: Valencia, Spain
Type: Vermouth
ABV: 15%
Size: 75 CL
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed chilled over ice, ideally with a slice of orange.

Flavour Profile

Balsamic, Vanilla-forward, Herb-complex, Spanish, Oak-aged

Did You Know?

The Valsangiacomo family's winemaking story didn't start in Spain at all - it began in the small Swiss border town of Chiasso, where Vittore Valsangiacomo founded the family's first winery in 1831, more than 50 years before the family settled in Valencia.

Nine years before it became a permanent part of the range, the Valsangiacomo family decided to let their vermouth rest in old American oak casks.
Vittore Reserva is the result of that patience - five years of ageing, gathered in a single glass.

Expert's Description

Vittore Reserva is a Spanish vermouth with an ABV of 15%, based on white wine made from the Macabeo grape from the Valencia region and aged for 5 years in oak casks.

The vermouth is produced by Cherubino Valsangiacomo, which has been making vermouth since 1904. The Reserva is infused with 24 Mediterranean and Alpine botanicals, including gentian, wormwood, coriander, sage, oregano and chamomile, before ageing for 5 years in American oak casks. The bottle is named after the family itself as a tribute to 185 years of history as winemakers.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose is floral and balsamic, softened by vanilla notes from the oak ageing.

Palate

The palate is intense and full-bodied with light bitter notes carried by the 24 botanicals.

Finish

The finish is long and elegant with a touch of oak and vanilla.

Specifications

Distillery: Cherubino Valsangiacomo
Region/Country: Valencia, Spain
Type: Spanish Vermouth
ABV: 15%
Size: 75 CL
Serving suggestion: Serve neat over ice as a digestif, or in an Old Fashioned-inspired cocktail.

Flavour Profile

Vanilla, Oak, Floral, Balsamic, Intense

Did You Know?

Did you know that Vittore Reserva is named after the Valsangiacomo family itself, in tribute to their 185-year history as wine and vermouth producers?

In Valencia's old harbour district, Benedetto Valsangiacomo blended his first vermouth in the early 1900s from a secret family recipe.
Vittore Red still carries that legacy forward, decade after decade.

Expert's Description

Vittore Red is a Spanish vermouth with an ABV of 15%, based on white wine made from the Macabeo grape from the Valencia region.

The vermouth is produced by the Spanish family winery Cherubino Valsangiacomo, which has been making vermouth since 1904 following the original recipe devised by Benedetto Valsangiacomo. Today the tradition is carried on by the fifth generation of the family. The base wine is infused with 24 Mediterranean and Alpine botanicals, including gentian, wormwood, coriander, sage, oregano and chamomile, and its golden colour comes from caramelised grape must.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose is balsamic with Mediterranean herbs such as oregano, fennel and thyme, alongside a touch of liquorice and fresh citrus.

Palate

The palate balances acidity and sweetness with notes of cinnamon, liquorice and cloves.

Finish

The finish is pleasantly bitter from the herbs and lingers long on the palate.

Specifications

Distillery: Cherubino Valsangiacomo
Region/Country: Valencia, Spain
Type: Spanish Vermouth
ABV: 15%
Size: 75 CL
Serving suggestion: Serve over ice with a slice of orange and an olive, or as the base of a classic vermouth cocktail.

Flavour Profile

Spiced, Balsamic, Bitter, Citrus, Mediterranean Herbs

Did You Know?

Did you know that Vittore Red is Valencia's oldest vermouth, still made to the same formula that Benedetto Valsangiacomo devised more than a hundred years ago?

As the Mediterranean sun bakes over Valencia's vineyards, the Macabeo grapes that form the backbone of the Valsangiacomo family's white vermouth are harvested.
Vittore White is the pale, herbal sibling of the classic red version.

Expert's Description

Vittore White is a Spanish vermouth with an ABV of 15%, based on white wine made from the Macabeo grape from the Valencia region.

The vermouth is produced by Cherubino Valsangiacomo following the same original 1904 recipe as Vittore Red, but without added caramel, giving it a clear, straw-yellow colour. The base wine is infused with 24 Mediterranean and Alpine botanicals, including gentian, wormwood, coriander, sage, oregano and chamomile.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose is herbal and balsamic with oregano, fennel and thyme, alongside a touch of liquorice and citrus.

Palate

The palate shows a fine balance of acidity and sweetness with notes of cinnamon, liquorice and cloves.

Finish

The finish is long and pleasantly bitter with a clean herbal character.

Specifications

Distillery: Cherubino Valsangiacomo
Region/Country: Valencia, Spain
Type: Spanish Vermouth
ABV: 15%
Size: 75 CL
Serving suggestion: Serve over ice with a slice of lemon, or as the base of a fresh vermouth spritz.

Flavour Profile

Herbal, Citrus, Spiced, Bitter, Mediterranean Herbs

Did You Know?

Did you know that Vittore White is made to the same recipe as Vittore Red, but without caramel, giving it its clear, straw-yellow colour?

In Turin, where the Piedmontese hills cast long shadows over the vineyards, a brand new spirits category was born in 1786. Spices from distant shores met local wine, and the result was a sweetness edged with darkness — a recipe that still guards its secrets.

Expert's Description

Carpano Antica Formula is an Italian Vermouth made to the original 1786 recipe and bottled at 16.5%. The bottle carries the name of its creator, Antonio Benedetto Carpano, who in Turin crafted what many consider the world's first sweet vermouth. The recipe survived war and changes of ownership until Fratelli Branca Distillerie acquired the Carpano house in 2001 and uncovered an old document believed to be one of Antonio Benedetto Carpano's original formulas.

Under the motto "Novare Serbando" — renew by preserving — the distillery has since held onto the same herbal bouquet and the same spices, saffron among them, that built the vermouth's reputation. The base is Italian white wine infused with a long list of mountain herbs and spices. The colour is amber-red with a hint of rust, and the nose carries the pronounced vanilla note Carpano is known for across its entire range. Antica Formula is today considered the benchmark for a classic Negroni and also features in cocktails such as the Americano and the Hanky Panky.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Vanilla meets spice, citrus peel and dried fruit like raisins and cloves — a bouquet that's hard to mistake for anything else.

Palate

Round and full-bodied with bitter orange, dates, cocoa beans and a touch of saffron for a gentle spiced bite.

Finish

Long and warm, with the vanilla lingering last.

Specifications

Distillery: Carpano
Bottler: Fratelli Branca Distillerie
Region/Country: Turin, Italy
Type: Italian Vermouth
ABV: 16.5%
Size: 37.5 CL
EAN no.: 8004400076247
Serving suggestion: Over ice with an orange twist, or as the base of a Negroni, Americano or Hanky Panky

Flavour Profile

Sweet · Spiced · Vanilla-forward · Bittersweet · Aromatic

Did you know?

When Niccolò Branca went through old papers after acquiring the Carpano house in 2001, he found a box containing a handwritten recipe still believed to be the closest surviving link to Antonio Benedetto Carpano's original 1786 formula.

In the old streets of Turin, where the story of vermouth was first written, a recipe still divides the city's residents between the sweet and the bitter side of the same glass. Punt e Mes was born from a stockbroker's witty order and remains one of Italy's most recognisable aperitifs, true to its bold original character.

Expert's Description

Carpano Punt e Mes is an Italian Vermouth of the vermouth chinato style, based on white wine with 16% alcohol, produced by Fratelli Branca Distillerie in Turin.

The story dates back to 19 April 1870, when a stockbroker in Carpano's wine shop in Turin, caught up in a discussion about share prices that had risen a point and a half, ordered his usual Carpano vermouth but asked for it to be topped with half a measure of quinine bitter - described in the local dialect as punt e mes. The name stuck, and the drink became a classic.

Punt e Mes was produced by the Carpano family until 2001, when Fratelli Branca Distillerie of Milan acquired the brand and continued the recipe of more than 40 herbs and spices, including orange peel and quinine bark.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose offers ripe dark fruit such as prune and cherry, supported by quinine bark, cloves and a hint of tobacco leaf.

Palate

The palate opens sweet with honeyed plum and orange, before the quinine bark and bitter botanicals arrive with clear notes of clove and dark coffee.

Finish

The finish is long and round, with well-balanced bitterness from the quinine bark meeting a residual sweetness and dried orange zest.

Specifications

Distillery: Carpano
Region/Country: Turin, Italy
Type: Italian Vermouth – Vermouth Chinato
ABV: 16%
Size: 75 cl
EAN no.: 8001710100129
Serving suggestion: Serve over ice with a slice of orange, or use as the base in classic cocktails such as the Milano-Torino and the Manhattan

Flavour Profile

Bitter · Orange Peel · Quinine Bark · Spicy · Full-Bodied

Did you know?

According to a 1916 testimony, Punt e Mes was the favourite drink of Giovanni Agnelli, founder of the car maker FIAT, who often enjoyed it at Carpano's wine shop in Turin.

In the Drôme Provençale, where the sun bakes the orchards and the air smells of ripe peach, three drinks industry veterans from the Cognac region set out to build an aperitif around fruit rather than herbs.

Expert's Description

Artonic Nectarine is a French Appetizer made from beet alcohol infused with nectarine juice from Provence and bottled at 12%. Behind the bottle is Maison Artonic, founded by three experienced drinks professionals with roots in the Cognac region who wanted to build an aperitif range centred on fruit rather than the classic herbs and bittering agents.

Nectarine is made with nectarine juice from Provence, cane sugar and beet alcohol, resulting in a rounded, sun-ripened aperitif with a pronounced stone-fruit character. It's designed as an alternative to classic herbal vermouth — easier to drink, yet complex enough to carry a cocktail.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Ripe orchard nectarine, fruity with a touch of blossom.

Palate

Mild, sweet and gently tart nectarine flavour, rounded on the palate.

Finish

Long, sweet and fruity, closing on notes of ripe stone fruit.

Specifications

Distillery: Artonic
Region/Country: Drôme Provençale, France
Type: French Appetizer
ABV: 12%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 3242614003016
Serving suggestion: Over ice, topped with soda water, or as the base of a cocktail

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Sweet · Floral · Gently tart · Sun-ripened

Did you know?

Artonic was created by three people from the Cognac industry who wanted to build an aperitif without the classic bittering herbs — instead relying entirely on French fruit, like the Provence nectarines in this bottle.

On Sardinia's west coast, where Mediterranean scrubland and salt air meet century-old vineyards, the Carta family has been making vermouth since the 1950s. The Vernaccia grape provides the base, and the island's wild herbs do the rest.

Expert's Description

Silvio Carta Vermouth Servito is an Italian Vermouth made from Vernaccia di Oristano wine and bottled at 16%. The family-run Silvio Carta was founded in Baratili San Pietro on Sardinia and has spent three generations specialising in the island's traditional Vernaccia wine, which also forms the backbone of the house vermouth.

The wine is infused with a selection of Sardinian herbs and Mediterranean scrub botanicals, giving the vermouth its distinctive, slightly saline, herb-driven profile. The style is bianco — pale straw in the glass — setting it apart from the heavier, darker vermouth styles of mainland Italy through its freshness and salt-tinged finish.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Citrus peel, wildflowers and Mediterranean herbs, with a touch of ripe quince.

Palate

Soft and elegant with sweet orange, vanilla and a gentle bitterness that keeps it balanced.

Finish

Saline and mineral, with a trace of eucalyptus lingering on the way out.

Specifications

Distillery: Silvio Carta
Region/Country: Sardinia, Italy
Type: Italian Vermouth
ABV: 16%
Size: 75 CL
EAN no.: 8005765969496
Serving suggestion: Serve chilled over ice, or as the base of a Martini or Spritz

Flavour Profile

Herbal · Saline · Fresh · Citrus · Gently bitter

Did you know?

The Carta family has spent three generations championing Vernaccia di Oristano, a wine style whose distinctive ageing process is sometimes compared to sherry and which today survives with only a handful of producers left on Sardinia.

See our full range of Silvio Carta

In a small distillery in Baratili San Pietro, coffee beans from four continents are roasted until they take on the colour of a monk's habit. The aroma mingles with the sweet, earthy scent of Sardinian strawberry-tree honey. That is how Silvio Carta's coffee amaro is born.

Expert's Description

Silvio Carta Amaro Bomba Carta Caffè is an Italian Amaro from Sardinia, infused with roasted coffee and bottled at 26% alcohol.

The amaro builds on the classic Bomba Carta and is infused with roasted Arabica coffee beans from El Salvador, Brazil, Colombia and Honduras, together with rare Sardinian corbezzolo honey from the strawberry tree. Each coffee is roasted in Sardinia according to Italian tradition for around 20 minutes, until the beans reach a deep, dark "monk's habit" colour. The amaro is produced by the Carta family in Baratili San Pietro, where the company has experimented with the island's raw materials since the early 1950s.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Pronounced aromas of roasted coffee and moka, joined by Mediterranean notes of dwarf pine, resin, eucalyptus and a hint of the sea.

Palate

Complex and well balanced with high aromatic intensity, sweet and fragrant with fresh, fruity notes that keep the acidity in check.

Finish

A long, rounded finish with echoes of roasted coffee beans and a touch of Sardinian honey.

Specifications

Distillery: Silvio Carta
Region/Country: Sardinia, Italy
Type: Italian Amaro
ABV: 26%
Size: 70 cl
Serving suggestion: Enjoy neat over ice, or as a key ingredient in an Espresso Martini.

Flavour Profile

Coffee, Roasted, Honeyed, Complex, Mediterranean herbs

Did You Know?

Did you know that Amaro Bomba Carta Caffè Tustatu won the Ampolla d'Oro, the "Golden Bottle", as best amaro in the Italian guide Spirito Autoctono 2024?

Explore the full range of Italian Bitter and Amaro at Whisky.dk.

Golden light from the hills of Piedmont, a hint of cinchona bark and orange peel in the glass – the taste of an aperitif whose recipe hasn't changed in over a century.

Expert's Description

Cocchi Americano Bianco Vermouth is an Italian aromatised white wine from Piedmont, fortified and flavoured with cinchona bark, gentian and citrus, bottled at 16.5% ABV.

The vermouth was created in 1891 by Giulio Cocchi, a young pastry chef who established his business in the town of Asti in north-western Italy. After blending the botanicals, the wine is left to marry for a year before bottling, a process unchanged since the recipe's creation. Today, Giulio Cocchi is run by the Bava family, themselves distinguished producers of Moscato d'Asti.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Ripe pear, honey-roasted fig, elderflower, peach, a touch of bell pepper, sultana and orange marmalade.

Palate

Full and lightly spiced, honeyed yet tart citrus fruit with a bitter edge of gentian.

Finish

Honey and citrus rounded off by a fresh, tart marmalade note.

Specifications

Distillery: Giulio Cocchi
Region: Piedmont, Italy
Type: Vermouth
ABV: 16.5%
Size: 75 CL
EAN no.: 8007117010061
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed chilled over ice with a twist of orange peel, or as a substitute for discontinued Kina Lillet in a classic Vesper Martini.

Flavour Profile

Bitter, Citrus, Honeyed, Herbal, Elegant

Did You Know?

Cocchi Americano Bianco is widely regarded by bartenders as the best substitute for the long-discontinued Kina Lillet, which is why it features in James Bond's famous Vesper Martini from Casino Royale.

See our full range of Cocchi here.