Carpano Antica Formula is a premium Italian sweet red vermouth, widely considered the first vermouth ever created, based on Antonio Benedetto Carpano’s 1786 recipe. The appearance of this vermouth has a distinctive dark amber colour. Beautiful intense aromas of vanilla, dried prunes, dates and spices with the palate being rich and round with a balance of sweet caramel and bitter herbal notes. The finish on this vermouth is long and warm with notes of orange marmalade and cinnamon. Produced in limited quantities, featuring a complex blend of Italian white wines, Moscato from Piedmont, and mountain herbs including wormwood, saffron, and citrus.

Carpano Antica Formula is best served as a sophisticated aperitivo over a large ice cube with an expressed orange peel, allowing its velvety notes of rich vanilla, dark cocoa, and dried fruits to take center stage. Its robust character also makes it the ultimate "secret weapon" in a Negroni, where it effortlessly rounds out the bitterness of the Campari with a luxurious, spiced finish. Beyond these classics, it adds depth to a Manhattan, or a Boulevardier.

About the Producer

The story starts in Turin in 1786 when Antonio Benedetto Carpano, following a period in which he studied to be a herbalist, invented the formula which was to give rise to the category of Vermouth products, by combining herbs and spices with muscatel. Carpano’s wine shop was situated just opposite the Royal Palace and, confident of the appeal of his new product, he sent a crate of Vermouth to King Vittorio Amedeo III. The king took such an immediate liking to the drink that he adopted it as one of the royal household.

In 2001 the Branca Company acquired Carpano. This acquisition enabled the Milanese company to increase its products portfolio in line with the excellence and quality that have always characterised Branca policies, loyal to its motto of Novare Serbando, in other words to always continue along the path of innovation without ever losing sight of the past and its own traditions.

Today, the product is as loved in Italy as it is in other countries, where the trend in consumption is continually increasing. Carpano is expanding the reference market of the original vermouth for good, thanks to the work being done by Distillerie Branca who are taking its undeniable quality around the world.