Drink of the Week: Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth

Carpano has been perfecting sweet vermouth for over 200 years, and Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth is made from Italian wine grapes and fortified with herbs and botanicals in a months-long process that contributes to its distinctive flavor. The recipe for Antica Formula was first crafted in Turin in 1786 by Italian distiller Antonio Benedetto Carpano, whose formula helped give rise to the popularity of vermouth.

According to 2023 Nielsen data, Antica Formula is now the best-selling premium vermouth in the United States. It has amassed myriad awards (including a Gold at the 2023 Bartender Spirits Awards) and has become a darling of the cocktail world, beloved by bartenders for its rich bittersweetness and deeply nuanced botanical character. It’s especially known for the complexity it brings to the classic Manhattan, with the vermouth’s trademark vanilla notes playing seamlessly off of bourbon and bitters. In addition to cocktails, Antica Formula is well suited to sipping either neat or on the rocks, perfect for your next aperitivo hour, or in this case, vermouth hour.

Antica Formula is available in three sizes—1 liter, 750 ml, and 375 ml—at premium wine and spirits retailers across the country.