Carpano Antica Formula

This is a rather hard-to-find red vermouth - but if you like Manhattan-family cocktails (or anything else that calls for red vermouth) and you can get your hands on a bottle, it's well worth the effort to track it down. It doesn't have the bitter punch of their Punt e Mes, but it's superb.

Earlier tonight, I mixed a Cocktail a la Louisiane with Noilly Prat red vermouth and Baby Saz, using up the last of the N-P in the process. Then, it was time to uncork the Antica Formula. I mixed another Louisiane with Baby Saz, using the newly opened Carpano.

While N-P is a fine red vermouth, the Carpano is in the same league with Vya. There's an extra zip to it - a bit more spice than sweetness. I'm now glad that it comes in liter bottles!

So I've had a bottle of Antica vermouth for awhile, but just opened it tonight. Wow, this is really different. It is unlike any other sweet vermouth I've tried before - it's not as sweet, very complex and I'm getting a very distinctive dry nutty taste (pecan)? I can't quite put my finger on it....wish my tongue had a better vocabulary and a better memory!

I'm with you, CrispyC! The Antica Formula is definitely the creme de la creme of sweet vermouths. If you are a Manhattan drinker, you owe it to yourself to try a bottle. I was at a high end cocktail bar in the Village last week and decided to test them with a classic and try the new Russell's Reserve Rye at the same time, so I ordered a Manhattan. It was terrific. Out of curiosity I asked the bar keep what vermouth they were using. The house sweet was Carpano Antica. Should have known.

-Mike