Ingredients
A sweet vermouth base — wine, wormwood, warm spice — pushed hard toward bitterness with additional quinine and gentian. Effectively a vermouth and an amaro blended into one bottle.
- ✦Wormwood
- ✦Cinchona bark (quinine)
- ✦Gentian root
- ✦Bitter orange peel
- ✦Vanilla
- ✦Warm spices
- ✦Wine base
History of the Brand
Antonio Benedetto Carpano invented modern sweet vermouth in Turin in 1786; Punt e Mes arrived from the same house in 1870.
The name is Piedmontese for 'point and a half'. The story goes that a broker from the nearby stock exchange, mid-argument about a market move, ordered his vermouth with 'a point' of sweet and 'half a point' of bitter — and the barman bottled it.
Whether or not the tale is true, it captures the formula: vermouth sweetness with an amaro's bitter edge.
Now made by Fratelli Branca, it remains the standard bottle for anyone who finds ordinary sweet vermouth too soft in a Negroni or Manhattan.
Tasting Characteristics
Dried fig, orange peel, cocoa and bitter bark.
Rich vermouth sweetness up front, then a hard quinine-and-gentian turn.
Long, dry, bitter-chocolate and orange.
Flavor meter
How to serve it
- 01Over ice with an orange twist as an aperitivo.
- 02In a Negroni in place of sweet vermouth for a darker, drier drink.
- 03In a Manhattan or Boulevardier for extra bitterness.
- 04In a Bensonhurst or other bitter-vermouth stirred drink.
- 05With soda as a low-ABV bitter highball.
Where to Get It
Widely distributed and inexpensive. Wine-based, so refrigerate after opening and use within a couple of months.
Most liquor stores
Shelved with vermouth; usually $22–$30.
Online spirits retailers
Search 'Carpano Punt e Mes'.
Turin
Poured across the city that invented vermouth.
Affiliate buying links coming soon.
Punt e Mes FAQ
What is Punt e Mes?
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A bitter Italian vermouth made by Carpano in Turin since 1870 — a sweet vermouth base pushed toward amaro with extra quinine and gentian, at 16% ABV.
What does 'Punt e Mes' mean?
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Piedmontese for 'point and a half', from the story of a Turin stock broker ordering a point of sweetness and half a point of bitterness in his vermouth.
Is Punt e Mes a vermouth or an amaro?
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Technically a vermouth, but it sits on the border. It has enough bitterness to work as a light amaro on its own.
Can I use Punt e Mes instead of sweet vermouth?
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Yes, and it is a popular swap in Negronis, Manhattans and Boulevardiers when you want more bitterness and less sugar.
Does Punt e Mes need refrigeration?
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Yes. It is wine-based, so keep it refrigerated after opening.