In Turin, “a vermouth” is not a cocktail order. It is a small pause in the day, usually in the early evening, built around a glass of aromatised wine and something to eat beside it. The city is closely tied to the drink: according to Carpano, the producer that bears his name, Antonio Benedetto Carpano devised the formula here in 1786. If you arrive knowing a few terms, you can order with confidence and read what the bar puts in front of you. This guide explains what vermouth is, how to choose a style, and what the ritual around it looks like.
A fortified wine with a Turin address
Carpano’s own history says the herbalist-trained Carpano combined herbs and spices with muscatel wine, and sold the result from a wine shop opposite the Royal Palace. The shop sat near Piazza Castello, and the page adds that in 1820 his nephew registered the business as a factory “under the arcades” of that square.
The word itself is not Italian. Europeana, the EU’s cultural heritage platform, notes that it comes from the French pronunciation of the German Wermut, meaning wormwood. The Gambero Rosso food magazine adds that the drink began as something taken for health, then was stabilised and sweetened by Turin liquorists until it became a pleasure. By the 1830s, a Milan newspaper advertisement was already calling it “Vermut di Torino”.
What is actually in the glass
Vermouth is wine, flavoured with botanicals and strengthened with added alcohol. Carpano’s explainer, which summarises EU rules on aromatised wine, says it must be at least 75% wine, must contain Artemisia (wormwood) as a characterising element, and must have an alcohol strength of at least 14.5%, with a ceiling just under 22%. Practically, that means it is noticeably stronger than a glass of table wine, even when it tastes soft.
“Vermouth di Torino” is a narrower, protected name. As Gambero Rosso reports, the Superiore version must be made with herbs grown or gathered in Piedmont, at least 50% Piedmontese wines, and at least 17% alcohol by volume. Styles named there include Bianco, Ambrato, Rosato and Rosso. These are rules as reported in a 2021 article, so check the label or the producer if the detail matters to you.
Sweetness is a separate scale. Carpano’s explainer lists extra dry, dry, half dry, semidolce and dolce, from under 30 grams of sugar per litre to over 130. A bar will rarely quote numbers, so if you prefer something less sweet, simply ask for a drier vermouth.
How to order, in three decisions
You do not need to speak much Italian. Make three small choices, in this order.
First, colour and style. Ask for un vermouth rosso (red) or bianco (white), and if you are unsure, ask the bartender which they would pour first. If the bar lists a house or producer vermouth, ask what it is. Gambero Rosso notes that asking for “un Torino” at the bar was once common, so the shorthand has a history even if a menu may spell it out today.
Second, how it is served. Gambero Rosso describes vermouth as something to drink neat (in purezza) or as part of the aperitivo, with mixology as a major use. Whether it arrives over ice, with a slice of orange or straight in the glass varies by venue, so it is reasonable to ask how they usually serve it. It is also fine to say you would like it simply.
Third, how much. Because it is a fortified wine, a first glass is enough to judge whether you like it. You can always order another.
What arrives with the glass
Aperitivo is a time and a habit more than a menu. The World’s 50 Best Restaurants site describes it across Italy as typically running from about 6 to 8 pm, with a light drink and small bites, and says the snacks are sometimes included in the price. It describes Turin’s bites as stuzzichini, with tramezzini and grissini among the traditional foods.
The tramezzino has a local claim worth knowing. Turismo Torino, the city’s tourism site, says a plaque inside Caffè Mulassano credits Angela Demichelis Nebiolo with inventing it in 1926, first as an accompaniment to the aperitif and later as a quick lunch. Treat that as the café’s own account of its history. The same page says the café moved to Piazza Castello in 1907 and is about 31 square metres, so seating may be limited.
Because the snacks vary from bar to bar, do not assume a free plate will replace dinner. Look at what arrives, then decide whether to stay for more.
Where the ritual is easiest to see
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants article names Caffè Torino, Caffè Mulassano and Caffè San Carlo among Turin’s historic cafés, and La Drogheria, Lobelix and Floris House among more modern venues. A list is not a recommendation: opening hours, menus and prices change, and this guide has not verified them. Confirm on each venue’s own channels or through Turismo Torino before you plan around one.
If you are choosing, the useful contrast is between a historic café, where the room and the arcades are part of the experience, and a modern bar, where the vermouth list may be the main subject. Either lets you see the same ritual from a different angle.
Your first evening in Turin
A simple plan works well. Arrive around the early evening, pick one café near the arcades of Piazza Castello, order a rosso or a bianco and ask how it is served, then see what comes with it. If you like it, try the other colour the next day, or ask for a drier style. Keep in mind that every glass is stronger than wine, so there is no need to rush.
Once you know what you are looking at, vermouth becomes a way to read the city: its cafés, its history of herbal and wine trades, and the habit of stopping before dinner.
Official sources and references (checked on 18 October 2026): Carpano: The history, Carpano: What is vermouth, Turismo Torino: Caffè Mulassano, Turismo Torino: Food and wine, Europeana: Vermouth in Turin, Gambero Rosso: Il Vermouth di Torino and The World’s 50 Best: Turin and the art of the aperitivo.
