The Martini Fiero Tonic recipe
half and half, over plenty of ice
Fill a large Copa glass completely with ice cubes; the fuller the glass, the slower the ice melts.
Pour 7 cl of chilled Martini Fiero over the ice.
Top up with 7 cl of chilled tonic. Pour it along the inside of the glass so the fizz stays in.
Stir gently once with a bar spoon.
Garnish with an orange slice, or with blood orange when it’s in season.
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The story
Vermouth with tonic or sparkling water has long been an ordinary aperitif in Italy and Spain, and Martini comes from that tradition. The company has been making vermouth in Pessione, near Turin, since the nineteenth century. Fiero is a younger branch of that family: a vermouth made from white wines with orange peel from Murcia and two types of wormwood, intended to be mixed with tonic. Fiero is Italian for proud or bold. In 2019, Martini brought it to the United Kingdom and in 2021 to the United States, both times recommending equal parts Fiero and tonic in a balloon glass as the serving method. The alcohol content is around 14.5 percent and varies slightly by country. This puts Fiero in line with other vermouths, and well below spirits.
The right glass
Martini serves this drink in a balloon glass, and a copa glass is exactly that: a large, rounded bowl on a stem, usually 50 to 60 cl. You need that space for a glass full of ice plus 14 cl of drink. The rounded shape captures the aroma of orange, while the stem keeps your hand away from the ice. Martini's Dutch website also lists a wine glass as an option, so a large 50 cl wine glass works too. You can find our copas in the gin and tonic glasses collection.
RCR Alkemist Gin and Tonic Glass 53 cl (6 pieces)
RCR Timeless Gin and Tonic Glass 50 cl (4 pieces)
Both sets together € 83,90.
The right tools
For a Martini Fiero Tonic, in addition to the glass, use a bar spoon to stir, a jigger to measure precisely, and large ice cubes. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you'll find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 3 bar tools together € 160,80.
What do you make a Martini Fiero Tonic with?
For a Martini Fiero Tonic, you need the right base. Popular bottles include Martini Fiero and Martini. On each drinks page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Martini also has its own Fiero Spritz: 5 cl Fiero, 7.5 cl prosecco, and 2.5 cl sparkling water in a spritz glass with ice and a slice of pink grapefruit. It is similar to the Aperol Spritz, but fruitier and less bitter. For more depth, add 2 cl of gin; this moves the drink toward a Gin Tonic with orange. In a Negroni Sbagliato, Fiero can replace the red vermouth, creating a lighter, fruitier version.
Serving tip
Put both the Fiero and the tonic in the refrigerator: the colder they are when they go into the glass, the less ice melts. An opened bottle of Fiero belongs there anyway, because it is a wine product that loses its fresh orange character within a few weeks at room temperature. Blood oranges are available in winter and early spring and make the most beautiful garnish.
Good to know
Making Martini Fiero Tonic: why equal parts
Martini keeps it simple: equal parts Fiero and tonic. On the brand's Dutch website, that's 7 cl of each; internationally, it's 7.5 cl. The ratio works because Fiero is quite sweet on its own, while the quinine in the tonic adds a dry, bitter edge. More tonic makes the drink drier and lighter, while more Fiero makes it sweeter and fuller. Taste it after the first version and feel free to adjust by a centiliter. Keep both chilled, though, because warm tonic melts the ice and removes the fizz.
Which tonic pairs well with Martini Fiero
A classic Indian tonic pairs best: it has enough quinine to cut through the sweetness of the Fiero. Mediterranean tonics are lighter and more herbal, creating a softer, more floral drink. Tonics with a distinctive flavor, such as cucumber or berries, compete with the orange and are best avoided. A light tonic makes the drink less sweet, but also lacks some body. Preferably choose small 20 cl bottles: a large bottle quickly loses its fizz after opening, and a drink with this much tonic suffers immediately as a result.
Difference between Martini Fiero and Aperol
They may look like two similar orange aperitifs, but they are different drinks. Fiero is a vermouth: a wine with orange, herbs, and wormwood, at around 14.5 percent. Aperol is a bitter aperitif based on alcohol, herbs, and orange, at 11 percent. Fiero is juicier and fruitier, while Aperol is more bitter and herbal. Their usual mixers also differ: Fiero is served with tonic, while Aperol is served with prosecco and sparkling water in the Aperol Spritz. Both belong in a large glass with plenty of ice, and both are garnished with an orange slice.
Martini Fiero Tonic for a group
For six glasses, you need 42 cl of Fiero, slightly more than half of a 75 cl bottle, and 42 cl of tonic. Do not mix it in advance in a pitcher, because tonic quickly loses its fizz in an open pitcher. Chill the Fiero in a carafe or pitcher, for example from our pitchers, and pour 7 cl over the ice in each glass. Top up immediately with tonic from a freshly opened bottle. Slice the orange in advance and store the slices covered in the refrigerator; then each glass will be ready in half a minute.
Alcohol-Free Martini Fiero Tonic
For an alcohol-free version, you can use Martini Vibrante, a non-alcoholic aperitif from the same brand with bergamot and a red color. It tastes more herbal and less like orange than Fiero, so the orange slice in the glass does more work here. Keep the ratio half and half with tonic and use just as much ice. If you want it fruitier, see the Alcoholvrije Spritz. For a drier, more herbal version, the Alcoholvrije Gin Tonic is a good alternative.
How much alcohol is in a Martini Fiero Tonic
Not much, for an aperitif. The 7 cl of Fiero at around 14.5 percent provides approximately 1 cl of pure alcohol, or about 8 grams. That is less than one standard drink of 10 grams. In 14 cl of drink, the alcohol content in the glass is approximately 7 percent, and this decreases further as the ice melts. For comparison: a Campari Spritz contains around 20 grams of alcohol, while a gin and tonic with 5 cl gin contains approximately 16 grams. This makes the Fiero Tonic one of the lighter aperitifs you can serve.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Martini Fiero Tonic?
A Martini Fiero Tonic is an aperitif made with equal parts Martini Fiero and tonic, served over plenty of ice in a copa or wine glass with an orange wheel. Fiero is a vermouth made from white wine with orange and herbs; the tonic makes it drier and lightly bitter.
What is the ratio of Martini Fiero to tonic?
Half and half. Martini lists 7 cl Fiero and 7 cl tonic on its Dutch website; internationally, the brand uses 7.5 cl of each. If you want it drier, pour in an extra centiliter of tonic. It becomes sweeter and fuller with a little more Fiero.
How much alcohol is in Martini Fiero?
Martini Fiero contains around 14.5 percent alcohol; the exact percentage varies slightly by country. In a Martini Fiero Tonic with 7 cl Fiero and 7 cl tonic, you end up with approximately 7 percent in the glass. That is less than one standard alcoholic drink in total.
Which glass do you serve Martini Fiero Tonic in?
In a large copa or balloon glass of 50 to 60 cl, as Martini itself recommends. It should hold a glassful of ice plus 14 cl of drink. A large wine glass works too. Our copas are listed with the gin and tonic glasses.
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