Punt e Mes

Punt e mes is an Italian vermouth variety that is made with white wine and various herbs and spices. It is a clear, amber-colored drink with a herbaceous character and a distinctive bitter-sweet flavor. Punt e mes is often served over ice, usually with a splash of soda and an orange twist.

It is also used in cocktails such as Negroni, Manhattan, and Americano. This bitter vermouth was allegedly invented in 1870 at the Carpano bar in Turin when a customer asked for a vermouth with a kick of bitter quinine-based liqueur. The name has its origin in a stockbroker term, meaning a point and a half.

The story says that a businessman used the term to refer to the change at the stock market as well as the term to order his drink of choice.