Piedmont culture in a glass – vermouth and coffee

Turin is the capital city of Piedmont and a favorite cultural city of Europe for many reasons. But, two of the most fun, help you start the day and the evening.

Piedmont culture is all about coffee and aperitivo.  

What is Vermouth?

Vermouth is a fortified and aromatized wine. In other words, it’s a wine that has brandy to it and is infused with spices/herbs. And, one of the fun facts about Vermouth is that it was created in Turin, Northern Italy’s Piedmont wine region.

The introduction of aromatized wines as a commercial product is credited to Antonio Benedetto Carpano, a Turin-based herbalist. He is known to have mixed herbs spices with muscatel wine and sent bottles to King Vittorio Amedeo III, who loved it. 

Today, vermouth-based cocktails, vermouth tastings, and a killer cocktail scene bubble all around the lively city of Turin. You can even do vermouth-making and cocktail-making classes in the city. 

The Turin Coffee Scene

Turin is something of a coffee Mecca. From the elegant coffee houses that once served Torino royalty to the famous Lavazza coffee with its main roasting plant just outside of Turin, to the Turin’s famous Bicerin houses, this city serves up history with each caffé. 

The city’s oldest cafes ooze history and tales of debates amongst politicians, artists, and revolutionists there. The interiors vary, as does much of the city’s exteriors, from Art Nouveau to Baroque interiors, giving you a sense of both artistic and cultural history. 

A Turin Must Have: Bicern 

Bicern is a layered hot espresso drink, served in a small round glass. It’s been famous for centuries with the original recipe staying alive in the city. It is thought to have been first created at the still open Caffé Fiorio. The recipe is layered with espresso, chocolate, and whole milk. 

Stick Around for more Piedmont Culture. 

Get to know some of the gastronomic superstars of the Piedmont food scene. We’re not talking dishes, but specialty treats like Piedmont hazelnuts, the Alba white truffle, and Piedmont cheese.