Mulassano Vermouth & Aperitifs
About Mulassano
Mulassano is one of Turin’s historic names in vermouth and aperitivo culture, closely connected with Caffè Mulassano, the celebrated café in Piazza Castello. The Mulassano name carries the atmosphere of old Turin: vermouth at the bar, theatre nearby, long lunches, aperitivo and the social life that made the city one of the great homes of Italian drinking culture.
The story is also closely tied to Antica Distilleria Bordiga. Founded in Cuneo in 1888, Bordiga began with an original Vermouth di Torino recipe created by Pietro Bordiga. Caffè Mulassano became one of the historic establishments for which Bordiga produced vermouth, and the relationship continues today. The bottles carry the Mulassano name, while production takes place at Bordiga in Cuneo, Piedmont.
That distinction is important: Mulassano is the brand; Antica Distilleria Bordiga is the producer. Bordiga works with Piedmontese wines, Alpine botanicals, herbs, roots and spices, using long-established production methods and natural filtration. The Mulassano range includes Vermouth di Torino Rosso, Bianco and Extra Dry, alongside bitters, aperitifs and occasional special releases.
Caffè Mulassano and Turin
Caffè Mulassano has been part of Turin life for more than a century. The business began in the late nineteenth century and later became one of the city’s best-known cafés under Amilcare Mulassano. Its location near the Teatro Regio made it a natural meeting point for artists, performers and members of Turin society, while the café itself became part of the city’s culinary history.
In 1925, Angela and Onorino Nebiolo took over the café and introduced the tramezzino, the small triangular sandwich now found throughout Italy. That mix of café culture, food, vermouth and aperitivo is still central to the identity of Mulassano today.
Produced by Antica Distilleria Bordiga
Antica Distilleria Bordiga produces the Mulassano range in Cuneo, Piedmont, at the foot of the Alps. Bordiga’s vermouth production draws on Piedmontese wines and a broad range of botanicals, including Alpine herbs traditionally gathered in the surrounding mountains.
The Rosso, Bianco and Extra Dry expressions are all recognised as Vermouth di Torino. Their production involves extended maceration and preparation before bottling, followed by a period of rest in Bordiga’s cellars. Filtration is carried out using natural processes rather than aggressive industrial treatment.
The Mulassano Range
Mulassano Rosso is built around Piedmontese wine and a traditional bittersweet vermouth profile, while the Bianco offers a softer, more aromatic expression. Extra Dry moves toward a drier, more vinous style. The wider range also includes Bitter and Aperitivo bottlings designed for classic Italian aperitivo drinking and cocktail use.
We see Mulassano as a particularly good example of the connection between place, producer and drinking culture: a historic Turin name, produced by one of Piedmont’s longstanding distilleries, and made for the kind of aperitivo drinking that has defined the region for generations.
