Ve.n.to Cocktail Recipe
Grappa with bianco vermouth, honey and lemon — an all-Italian aperitivo built on the one spirit Italy exports least.
- Category: New Era Drinks
- Glass: Old fashioned glass
- ABV: 20%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Grappa45 ml (1.5 oz)
- Vermouth bianco30 ml (1 oz)
- Honey syrup15 ml (0.5 oz)
- Fresh lemon juice15 ml (0.5 oz)
How to Make It
- Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir until well chilled.
- Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
- Express lemon zest over the surface.
Garnish
Lemon zest
What it tastes like
The sweetness is pronounced and it has a green, botanical backdrop.
The technique
Stirring. All-spirit drinks are stirred — shaking whips air into them and ruins both the clarity and the texture. Thirty to forty seconds in a mixing glass, the spoon tracing the wall. You are after the same ~20% dilution, just slower and under control.
Glass and ice
A heavy-bottomed, wide old fashioned glass. Wide enough for one large cube, which is the point: a big cube has less surface area, so the drink gets cold without getting watery.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Vermouth bianco
- White but sweet vermouth — not to be confused with the dry one. It carries vanilla and chamomile, and can replace sweet red vermouth, though the drink stays pale.
- Honey syrup
- Three parts honey to one part warm water. Neat honey seizes up in a cold drink, which is why it gets loosened first. Heavier and more aromatic than simple syrup.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Freshly squeezed lemon; one lemon gives 30-40 ml. It can swap with lime, but lemon is softer and less aromatic, so use a touch more.
The Story
Created in 2010 to show grappa outside its usual after-dinner role; the IBA adopted it in 2020.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Ve.n.to mixed?
- It is stirred and served in an old fashioned glass.
- How strong is a Ve.n.to?
- Roughly 20% ABV as served — in fortified-wine territory — plan it as a single drink.
- Can a Ve.n.to be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Ve.n.to hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.