Punt E Mes
An Italian vermouth-style aperitif wine, similar to sweet vermouth but with a more pronounced bitter edge - its name means "a point and a half," referencing that extra bitterness.
Origin
Turin, Italy, created by the Carpano company in 1870.
History
Punt e Mes was created by Carpano (the same house credited with inventing sweet vermouth itself in 1786) in 1870, with an origin story tied to Turin's financial district: a stockbroker at the Carpano wine shop, mid-conversation about that day's share prices having risen "a point and a half," ordered his usual vermouth with an extra half-measure of bitters, using the regional phrase "punt e mes" (point and a half) to describe it. The coincidental echo between the stock terminology and the drink order made it memorable, and the name and recipe stuck, becoming a beloved pre-lunch aperitif.
Flavor profile
Sweet and bitter at once, blending sweet vermouth's dark fruit and spice with real amaro-like bitterness from added botanicals including quinine.
Tasting notes
Noticeably more bitter than a standard sweet vermouth, with orange peel and quinine bitterness cutting through its dark, spiced sweetness, making it closer in character to an amaro than a typical vermouth, and popular as a Negroni variation ingredient.
Substitutes
- Sweet vermouth with a dash of Campari or another bitter added, as a homemade approximation.
- Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, for a related but less bitter Italian vermouth substitute.
- A different bittersweet vermouth-amaro hybrid, if one is available, for the closest match.
Common cocktails