This bottle of Arturo Vermouth Dry is a true piece of cocktail and retail history, representing the golden era of mid-20th century U.S. imports of Italian aromatized wines. Unlike mass-market vermouths, it was produced in Canelli (Asti, Piedmont)—a town renowned for its spumante and vermouth traditions—and bottled under the now-vanished producer name I.E.S.M.. What makes it particularly collectible is its status as an “Astor Home Exclusive”, created for a distribution network linking some of the most prominent East Coast wine and liquor retailers of the time: Astor Wines & Spirits in New York, Home Liquors in New Jersey, and Liquor Fair in Laurel, Maryland. Imported by Andrew Harvey & Co. of Newark, NJ, the bottle carries all the hallmarks of its 1960s–70s era—most notably the U.S.-specific volume declaration (“1 Pt. 9 Fl. Oz.”) and the period-style design. Today, bottles like this survive only rarely in sealed condition, making them prized collectibles for enthusiasts of vintage spirits, mid-century cocktail culture, and historic U.S.–Italian trade connections.
Type: Dry Vermouth (aromatized fortified wine with herbs/spices, less sugar than sweet vermouth)
Producer: I.E.S.M. Canelli (Asti, Piedmont, Italy) – a little-known producer, not active today under this name.
Market: This was bottled specifically for the U.S. market, distributed by Astor Wines & Spirits (a large New York wine shop, still active today) and imported via Andrew Harvey & Co.
Era: Based on the style of the label, the U.S.-specific volume declaration (“1 Pt. 9 Fl. Oz.”), and the importer details, this bottle likely dates from the 1960s–1970s.
About involved parties: Astor Wines & Spirits (NYC) is a long-running retailer that still exists today—so a private-label “Astor Home Exclusive” from mid-century is plausible. Liquor Fair (Laurel Shopping Center, MD) existed and appears in period memorabilia/listings; the “Liquor Fair – Laurel, MD” line on your label matches that ecosystem. “Home Liquors” in New Jersey is/was an operating liquor retailer (multiple locations), which fits the “Home Liquors, New Jersey” line on the label. Canelli (Asti) is a historic vermouth/spumante hub (Gancia/Contratto/Bosca), so production “I.E.S.M. – Canelli (Asti)” is contextually coherent even if the company name leaves no modern footprint.
Top band: “A SPECIAL SELECTION”
Brand panel: arturo
Center: VERMOUTH / DRY
Production line: “PRODUCED & BOTTLED IN ITALY BY I.E.S.M. – CANELLI (ASTI)”
License: “LIC. N. 504/0021”
Footer block: “An ASTOR HOME Exclusive”
“ASTOR WINES & SPIRITS, NEW YORK, N.Y.”
“HOME LIQUORS, NEW JERSEY – LIQUOR FAIR, LAUREL, MD.”
“IMPORTED BY: ANDREW HARVEY & CO., NEWARK, N.J.”
“CONTENTS: 1 PT. 9 FL. OZ.”
“ALCOHOL BY VOLUME"
This product is from a private seller. Please be aware that cabinet7 merely provides a platform to buy and sell. When sold, the seller will pack the bottle themselves and send it to the buyer. We do our best to make this process as smooth as possible, however there may be some delay.
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Max von Olfers
Max von Olfers is the founder of cabinet7, and has 10 years of experience with collector item appraisals. The oldest Cognac Max has consumed is from 1855.
Malte Lukowski
Malte Lukowski runs the operations & collector item departments at cabinet7, and has 4 years of experience with collector item appraisals. The oldest Cognac Malte has consumed is from 1920.
