What I’m Drinking: The Punt e’ Mes Highball

I remember when Punt e’ Mes wasn’t readily available stateside (I am very old, but not so old as to remember even earlier, when it probably was more available, before the more recent availability rebound, and if that all made sense, you probably haven’t had as many Punt e’ Mes Highballs as me, or you’ve had more and can now see and understand all thing), and during that time calling at the bar for the Punt e’ Mes Highball would garner strange looks. However! Even though this delicious sweet vermouth – though with it’s sweetness, hints o citrus, trailing into a smidge of bitterness nature, it shades amaro, too – is now on more bar shelves, if you order a Punt e’ Mes Highball, you still might garner some strange and curious looks. I wonder if bartenders might not know what a highball is today? I kid, I kid! I think it’s just because not many in the U.S. really think, unless they see it on a menu, to order something so simple, so classic in a way that’s not often highlighted, so easy going? Perhaps. But you, yes you, can help, by ordering one of these yourself this summer. Trust me, it’s delicious: light, bit citrus, bit spicy, bit bubbly, bit sweet, bit bitter, all refreshing, ideal for the sunshine-y months. If you and I both start ordering them, maybe I’ll stop getting those strange looks. And, as a bonus, we’ll both be super happy when sipping, too.

Punt e’ Mes Highball

Ice cubes

1-1/2 ounces Punt e’ Mes

3 ounces ginger ale or ginger beer

1. Fill a smallish highball glass or a big rocks glass three-quarter-ish up with ice cubes. Add the Punt e’ Mes.

2. Top with the ginger ale. Stir. Be happy.

A Note: Go for a good gingery ginger ale here, not one that’s too sweet. If you’re in Italy, hey, lucky you! Also, in every Italian grocery store you can find these little bottles of ginger ale, and they go perfectly here. If you’re not in Italy, you might even want to go ginger beer, as the ginger ales over here sadly can descend into sugary messes. There are some dandy, non-massively-corporate ones, too, I should say. Ginger beers, too. Rachel’s Ginger Beer would be amazing in here, as an example!