Carpano

Carpano is an historic Italian brand of Vermouth. Produced in Turin for over two centuries, since 2001 it has been made by the Fratelli Branca Distillerie (makers of Fernet Branca) in Milan, who had owned 50 percent of the company since 1982.

Carpano is claimed to be the originator of the Vermouth category in 1786, when the Turin herbalist and wine shop owner Antonio Benedetto Carpano combined moscato wine with herbs and spices, and gained immediate popularity after sending a case to King Vittorio Amedeo III of Sardinia (formerly Duke of Savoy) whose palace was opposite the Carpano shop. By the mid 19th century it was generally considered to be the signature drink of the city.

The Antica Formula expression harks back to this period; flavourings include vanilla from Madagascar, Tahiti and Papua New Guinea, and Iranian saffron. This and all of the range include expensively-sourced wormwood from various Italian mountain regions. The Classico is similar to the Antica Formula but with more emphasis on vanilla and citrus. The newest addition to the portfolio, the Dry, includes Dittany, an herbaceous plant from Crete. The base wines are sourced from Romagna, Puglia and Sicily.

The 2001 sale also included the rights to Punt e Mes, Carpano’s famous aperitif which can be used as a base for a version of a Manhattan and many other cocktails. The name translates as “Point and a Half”, and is said to originate from 1870 and a customer’s request for a measure of Carpano Vermouth with half a measure of bitters.