It's brown. It's bitter. It smells like a spice rack exploded in a damp Italian cellar. If you've ever stood at a high-end cocktail bar and watched a bartender reach for a bottle with a strange, minimalist orange and black label instead of the standard red vermouth, you were likely looking at Punt e Mes.
People get confused by it. Is it a vermouth? Is it an amaro? Honestly, it’s both, which is exactly why it’s so polarizing. Most folks who try it for the first time make a face like they’ve just sucked on a piece of cinchona bark. But then, about five minutes later, they want another sip. It’s addictive.
The name itself is a piece of Piedmontese history. Back in 1870, in the Carpano shop in Turin—the very city where modern vermouth was basically born—a stockbroker was having a particularly stressful day. The story goes that he was discussing the rise of stock prices (specifically, a rise of one and a half points) and ordered his usual Carpano vermouth but asked the barman to "correct" it with a half-measure of bitter liqueur. He shouted "Punt e Mes!" which translates to "a point and a half."
The phrase stuck. It became a local catchphrase. Eventually, it became one of the most famous exports in the history of Italian spirits.
What Is Punt e Mes and Why Does It Taste Like That?
To understand Punt e Mes, you have to understand the spectrum of fortified wines. On one end, you have your standard sweet red vermouth (vermouth rosso), which is herbaceous, sugary, and smooth. On the other end, you have amari—bitter digestifs like Fernet-Branca or Campari.
Punt e Mes sits right in the middle, throwing punches at both sides.
It starts with a white wine base, which is then fortified with alcohol and sweetened with sugar. But the magic—or the "kick," depending on your palate—comes from the infusion of over 50 herbs and spices. We’re talking orange peel, quinine, cloves, and wormwood. Lots of wormwood. That’s the "point" of sweetness and the "half-point" of bitterness the name implies.
It’s dark. It's moody. It has a syrupy texture that coats your tongue before the bitter finish scrubs it clean. If you compare it to something like Martini & Rossi, the Martini feels like juice. Punt e Mes feels like medicine that actually wants you to have a good time.
🔗 Read more: The Recipe With Boiled Eggs That Actually Makes Breakfast Interesting Again
The Carpano Legacy
You can’t talk about this stuff without mentioning Antonio Benedetto Carpano. He’s the guy credited with inventing commercial vermouth in 1786. His company, Fratelli Branca Distillerie (who also make Fernet, which explains a lot about the intensity), still produces Punt e Mes today. They haven't messed with the formula much. Why would they?
When you drink this, you’re drinking 150 years of stubbornness. It’s an "industrial" product that feels remarkably artisanal because it refuses to round off its sharp edges for the sake of mass appeal.
How to Drink It Without Scaring Your Taste Buds
If you’re new to the bitter life, don't just pour a double shot over ice and expect to love it immediately. You might. But you probably won't.
The easiest way to approach Punt e Mes is with a splash of soda water and a massive wedge of orange. The citrus oils in the orange peel react with the quinine in the vermouth to create this bright, refreshing thing that tastes like a sophisticated soda.
- The Highball Approach: Fill a tall glass with ice. Two ounces of Punt e Mes. Top with sparkling water. Squeeze that orange slice in there.
- The Neat Freak: If you’re a fan of bold flavors, drink it chilled, neat, as a digestif after a heavy dinner of pasta carbonara or grilled meats. The bitterness helps your stomach settle.
It’s surprisingly versatile. You’ll find that it stands up to ice better than lighter vermouths because its flavor profile is so aggressive. It doesn't get "watered down" easily; it just opens up.
Why Bartenders Are Obsessed With It
In the world of craft cocktails, Punt e Mes is basically a cheat code.
Standard sweet vermouths can sometimes get lost when you mix them with high-proof bourbon or rye. They get buried. Punt e Mes, however, refuses to go quietly. It’s a "strong" vermouth. When you swap it into a classic recipe, it changes the architecture of the drink.
💡 You might also like: Finding the Right Words: Quotes About Sons That Actually Mean Something
The Punt e Mes Manhattan
A traditional Manhattan uses sweet vermouth. By using Punt e Mes instead, you’ve created what some call a "Black Manhattan" (though that technically uses amaro, the lines are blurry here). The extra bitterness cuts through the sweetness of the whiskey. It adds a layer of dark chocolate and tobacco notes that weren't there before.
The Negroni Variation
Look, the Negroni is already a bitter drink. It’s gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. If you use Punt e Mes as your vermouth choice, you are doubling down on the bitterness. It is not for the faint of heart. But for those who find a standard Negroni a bit too cloying, this substitution is a revelation. It turns the drink from a bright red appetizer into a dark, brooding evening sipper.
The Boulevardier
The Boulevardier (bourbon, Campari, sweet vermouth) is where this bottle really shines. Bourbon’s natural caramel and vanilla notes love the spicy, bitter punch of Punt e Mes. It’s a match made in a dark, wood-paneled bar in 1920s Paris.
Identifying the Real Deal
Don't get it confused with Carpano Antica Formula. That’s the other "famous" bottle from the same family. Antica is rich, vanilla-forward, and very luxurious. It’s the velvet suit of vermouth.
Punt e Mes is the leather jacket.
It’s more bitter, less "pretty," and significantly more versatile if you like a drink with some backbone. Look for the bottle with the orange sphere on the label. It’s a visual representation of the name—the sphere represents the "point," and the half-sphere below it represents the "half."
It’s clever branding that hasn't changed because it doesn't need to.
📖 Related: Williams Sonoma Deer Park IL: What Most People Get Wrong About This Kitchen Icon
Common Misconceptions and Storage
People often ask if it goes bad. Yes. It’s wine-based.
Once you open a bottle of Punt e Mes, the clock starts ticking. Because it has a higher alcohol content than some other vermouths (usually around 16%), it lasts a bit longer, but don’t leave it on your bar cart for six months. It will oxidize. It will start to taste like old raisins and wet cardboard.
- Keep it in the fridge.
- Buy the smaller bottles if you don't drink it often.
- Use it within a month or two for the best experience.
Also, it isn't "just" an amaro. While it has that bitter profile, its sugar content and wine base keep it firmly in the vermouth category. If you try to use it as a 1:1 replacement for something like Fernet-Branca, your drink will be way too sweet. Use it where you would use sweet vermouth, but expect a more intense result.
Actionable Next Steps for the Curious Drinker
If you want to actually "get" this spirit, don't just read about it. Go to a liquor store and grab a bottle. It’s usually priced reasonably—cheaper than a high-end bourbon but more expensive than your bottom-shelf mixers.
The "Test Drive" Strategy:
Start by making a "Milano-Torino." It’s just equal parts Campari and Punt e Mes over ice. No gin. No whiskey. Just the two heavy hitters of Italian bitter culture. If you can handle that, you’re ready for anything.
Next, try it in a drink called the "Hanky Panky." This was invented by Ada Coleman at the Savoy Hotel in London. It’s gin, sweet vermouth (use Punt e Mes here), and two dashes of Fernet. It’s a masterclass in how bitterness can be elegant rather than overwhelming.
Finally, pay attention to the labels. Italian vermouth laws are strict, and Punt e Mes is one of the few that has maintained its integrity through the decades of "lite" and "sweetened" beverage trends. It’s a survivor.
Whether you love it or hate it, you have to respect the fact that it hasn't changed for you. You have to change for it. That’s the mark of a true classic.
Pick up a bottle. Chill it. Pour it. See if you can handle the point and a half.