Big-Batch Apposta Cocktail Recipe

“Sbagliato,” says famed bartender Charles Joly, “translates to ‘mistake’ or another blunder along those lines.” Apposta, on the other hand, “means ‘on purpose.’” Joly is referring to the (perhaps fictitious) origin story of the former drink—it’s said that a bartender was making a Negroni, but accidentally poured in prosecco instead of the gin. Whoops.

When making his Apposta, Joly aimed “to create a long, refreshing cocktail with the elements of a Negroni Sbagliato,” but with a few important shifts. For one, he says, “I didn’t forget the gin this time.”

The Apposta amps up the thirst-quenching character of the classic drink: this riff is tart, but still bitter, and quite fresh tasting. It’s somewhere between a boozy Negroni and citrusy Paloma, ideal for serving with pre-dinner snacks, especially if you batch it up ahead of time.

Each tweak to the original Negroni here makes a big difference. While the Sbagliato pairs rich sweet vermouth with bitter Campari, Joly’s Apposta is brighter, with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a few ounces of grapefruit soda.

Joly says that adding the gin back to the equation “gives the cocktail backbone.” Instead of Campari, Joly uses friendly, orangey Aperol, sometimes described as the little sibling of the Negroni’s more commonly used red bitter. Since Aperol has only a mild citrus bite, the vermouth element here is key: Joly calls for a specific brand of Italian vermouth called Punt e Mes. The name translates to “point and a half,” referring to the half-measure of bitter liqueur added to the sort of regular rosso vermouth that you might drink as an aperitivo. Instead of being simply round and juicy like many sweet vermouths, it’s halfway to a bitter cocktail on its own.

It’s delicious stuff, and yes, it’s worth tracking down.

Punt e Mes can add complexity to a simple Manhattan and connect the dots in amaro-forward drinks like the Search for Delicious. If you like bitter cocktails, you’ll probably appreciate Punt e Mes in pretty much any drink that calls for sweet vermouth. But here, it’s essential, giving the Apposta much of its bitter, appetite-whetting punch, and bringing out the crisp edge of the grapefruit soda. With regular Italian vermouth, the drink is quite sweet and honestly, boring. With Punt e Mes, it’s multidimensional magic.

Is There a Substitute for Punt e Mes?

If none of the stores near you stock the stuff, shipping a bottle may be an option, depending on your exact location. There are also a bunch of other bitter vermouths available these days; I particularly love Fred Jerbis Vermut 25. (If you see it, grab it.) But my guess is that if you cannot find Punt e Mes, which is produced by the same company that makes the popular Carpano Antica Formula, you may not see those other brands either.

If you can’t find it—or you just don’t want to make another trip to the liquor store—can you hack a Punt e Mes substitute that will work in this drink? I tested mixing ½ cup sweet vermouth with ¼ cup of a few different amari, and sadly it’s not a universal fix for this particular cocktail. While the Punt e Mes made a drink that was crisp and balanced, Campari-dosed vermouth made the cocktail feel out of whack and a bit too sweet. A mixture with Averna was also too sweet, and the one with Fernet-Branca was too mentholated and spiky. Cynar was closer. The version that included Braulio was the best of the bunch, though still not identical to the original. If you have a bottle of Braulio sitting around, it’s a good bet. Otherwise, I’d beg your local spirits shop to stock the Punt e Mes.

What if I Can’t Find the Grapefruit Soda?

My recipe calls for San Pellegrino Pompelmo, which keeps things Italian—but more importantly, it adds a dose of grapefruit-pith bitterness that helps the Apposta stay sharp rather than sweet. 

While I highly encourage you to seek out the San Pellegrino grapefruit soda, which is fairly widely available, I tested a few possible substitutes. My favorite option was Ting, Jamaica’s popular rendition of grapefruit soda, with Fresca as a runner up. Neither dominated the drink, though they also didn’t quite help it come together the way the San Pellegrino does. Both Izze Sparkling Grapefruit and Fever Tree Sparkling Pink Grapefruit grabbed center stage, sticking out with too much fruity flavor for this particular combination. Squirt and Jarritos grapefruit both proved too sweet; but if you go that direction you may be able to rebalance the cocktail with a squeeze of fresh grapefruit or additional lemon juice.

How to Make a Big Batch of Apposta Cocktails for a Group

It’s simple enough to make servings of the Apposta one by one, just pouring the gin, Aperol, Punt e Mes, and lemon in a tall ice-filled glass, adding grapefruit soda, and stirring it gently. But if I’m having friends over, I absolutely never feel like measuring five different ingredients for every serving. (I feel strongly enough about this laziness level of preparedness that I wrote a whole book about it.) 

Luckily, it’s easy to prep a large-format version of this cocktail in advance. You’ll combine all the still ingredients—that is, everything but the soda—in a container and stash it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it. I like something narrow-mouthed, like a swingtop bottle, for easy pouring; a clean, empty liter-sized liquor bottle works as well, though a 750ml is too small. You may want to use a funnel to get your batch in without splashing. A small pitcher is fine, too, though this isn’t a ton of liquid—a quart-sized mason jar is great for storage but may be slightly tricky when it’s time to serve. Note: Since the mixture has lemon juice in it, I wouldn’t prep it much more than four hours ahead. The juice will oxidize over time, and you want to give it a shot at tasting its best until the last sip. 

You’re not adding the soda to the batch in advance because you want that carbonation to stay intact. So when your friends arrive, stir your batched mix well. Fill everyone’s Collins glass all the way up with ice—don’t be stingy—then pour in your measured mix. Top each glass with about two ounces chilled grapefruit soda. Stir gently to integrate the soda before you add the final touch: the aromatic oils of a grapefruit peel and a sprig of fresh thyme which will liven up the drink even more.