Aperitif/Bitters/Vermouth

Isolabella 18 is an Amaro, a tonic whereby 18 reflects to the exact number of herbs used to produce this drink. Isolabella 18 was first created in 1871 by Italian Egidio Isolabella. Isolabella 18 can be drunk pure on ice or used as a ingredient for cocktails. This is the old presentation from the 1970’s.

Isolabella 18 is an Amaro, a tonic whereby 18 reflects to the exact number of herbs used to produce this drink. Isolabella 18 was first created in 1871 by Italian Egidio Isolabella. Isolabella 18 can be drunk pure on ice or used as a ingredient for cocktails. This is the old presentation from the 1970’s, bottled at 30% abv.

Amer Picon 21° was available from the late 1960’s until 1989; these bottles where released in the 1990’s.

Amer Picon 25° was available from the late 1960’s until 1989. This rare 95 cl bottle was brought into circulation in the 1970’s.

This Amer Picon 30° was produced around 1950. The type of bottle had been in use since the 1920’s but  in the 1940’s the volume ABV was reduced from 39° to 30°.

This Campari Bitter was released in the 1980’s and is one of the most sought-after bitters on the market.

This Campari Bitter was released in the 1980’s and is one of the most sought-after bitters on the market.

This Campari Bitter was released in the 1980’s and is one of the most sought-after bitters on the market.

Punt e Mes dates to around 1867 and is simultaneously amongst the bitterest and sweetest of vermouths. Punt e Mes is a rare example of a vermouth amaro, or “vermouth con bitter,” a style of vermouth with extra bitters added. Adulterating Vermouth di Torino with bitters or vanilla flavoring—almost like a cockail—when drinking it is an Turinese...

This bottle of Clacquesin was produced inbetween WWI & WWII, a period durig which Clacquesin was quite polular with annual sales exceeding 5.000.000 bottles. Although it does not show on the label we estimate the content to be 100cl. Neither mentioned is the % ABV which we believe is 27% or higher. Later versions where reduced to 22% whil...

Ginelli Rossi is a red vermouth, produced by Industria Vermouth Italiano Turino, sometime in the 1970’s. The % ABV is undisclosed but we assume it’s 16%.

While Vermouth is an Italian invention, some French producers profited from this succesfull invention by creating their own Vermouth. This Labo’s is made by Tonnay Charente & Beziers, founded in 1921, from aged Charente white wine infused with herbs. We estimate this bottle was produced prior to WWII.

Ín March 2014 Bacardi Martini has announced the re-launching of its Martini Bitter which it says is the original bitter aperitif. This new edition was only be available for a limited amount of time.   This Martini Bitter is the extremely rare 1980’s version, based upon the original recipe from 1872.

Martini China is one of Italy’s oldest bitters of which production has been discontinued  short while ago. Martini China is named after one of her key ingredients: Cinchona bark. This magnum still contains 31% ABV whilst the later version was reduced to just 25%.

Noilly Prat Extra Dry was a later variation which was especially populair on the US market.

This is Noilly Prat’s sweet vermouth, which was created in 1956. It uses the same base wines, but also includes caramel coloring to give it its red hue. (Many people assume sweet vermouths are made from red wines- nope!) The Rouge calls for the same 20 ingredients as the Original Dry, but used in different ratios than the dry. It then a...