Punt e Mes is an Italian vermouth. It is dark brown in color and has a bitter flavour. Punt e Mes literally means "point and a half" in Piedmontese. It has been said that it owes its name to a sudden raise of the stock market (naturally, of a point and a half) which greatly benefitted the Carpano distilleries, which then created the vermouth brand to commemorate the occasion.[citation needed] Alternatively it may refer to the flavor being characterised as one ”point” of sweetness and half a point of bitterness.