Carpano - Antica Formula Vermouth
- Worldwide shipping
- In stock, ready to ship
- Backordered, shipping soon
Created in 1786 by Antonio Benedetto Carpano in Turin, this foundational vermouth relies on regional Italian white wines from Romagna, Puglia, and Sicily processed within 24 hours of arrival to prevent oxidative spoilage. Rather than depending on synthetic vanilla extract or standard post-fermentation flavoring agents, the recipe extracts aroma via hot infusion and cold maceration using whole vanilla beans from Madagascar, Tahiti, and Papua New Guinea alongside hand-harvested Iranian saffron stigmas and wild alpine wormwood from Piedmont and the Aosta Valley. The dark amber hue and viscous density stem entirely from house-cooked burnt sugar rather than artificial coloring agents.
Palate weight is dense and structured, leading with rich vanilla pod, dried fig, and medjool dates before bitter orange oil, clove, and medicinal alpine herbs cut the natural sugars. In-house testing at USQ showed that this deep botanical profile holds its own against robust spirits without washing out. For a definitive Manhattan build, our team recommends stirring 2 oz high-proof bonded rye whiskey, 1 oz Carpano Antica Formula, and 2 dashes Angostura bitters over cracked ice, strained into a chilled coupe with an expressed orange peel. That rich mouthfeel also anchors an assertive Boulevardier (1.25 oz bourbon, 1 oz Campari, 1 oz Antica Formula), balancing aggressive bitter roots with aromatic spice.
Country
ItalyRegion
PiedmontSub Region
TurinSource
Italian white wine blendABV
16.5%Dietary
VeganProduction
Freshly vinified white wines infused via tailored hot and cold botanical maceration; flavored with whole-pod tropical vanilla beans, hand-harvested Persian saffron stigmas, and alpine wormwood (artemisia); sweetened with pure burnt sugar and rested several months prior to bottling
