In 1845 in Milan, Bernardino Branca and his three sons Luigi, Giuseppe and Stefano, started producing a beverage destined to have millions of fans in the world: Fernet-Branca. Fernet-Branca was born as an amaro, but became much more. Amari (bitters) are Italian liqueurs made from herbs, usually enjoyed at the end of a meal to help digestion. Even now, in Italy and elsewhere, amaro is drunk straight and chilled in small sturdy glasses or in the after-meal coffee.
Fernet-Branca, as we said, is first and foremost an amaro, made with all natural ingredients. It still is made according to the original, secret recipe, with more than 14 herbs (among which saffron, one of the most expensive herbs in the world, rhubarb, aloe and gentian root) macerated for one year in oak barrels. Another ingredient, the gum mhyrr, is an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic and has antibacterial properties. These all-healthy, natural ingredients are the secret of its success. After all in San Francisco, Fernet is the perfect remedy if you had one too many: a shot of Fernet-Branca and a glass of room temperature ginger ale is apparently the ideal recipe to avoid headaches in the morning.
But it is also its distinctive bittersweet and intense menthol flavor and its versatile nature that secured a success that has been lasting for more than 150 years. In Argentina, for instance, where every year 1,200,000 cases of Fernet-Branca are shipped, the national beverage is Branca and coke: one part of Fernet-Branca and four parts of coke, on the rocks. But, if you go there you will also see people order it with sprite.
And for aperitivo? There are so many ways to enjoy it: with soda, with seltzer or with mineral water, while nibbling on some chips or olives.
But Fernet-Branca’s possibilities are endless and, even if it is a fine drink by itself, it really excels, when used to prepare cocktails: a New York restaurant, Employers Only, created the Fernando, a shaken cocktail with Fernet-Branca, white vermouth and Galliano liqueur: absolutely phenomenal.
Fernet-Branca goes also very well with cognac: the Afternoon Cocktail is made of 1/3 maraschino, 1/3 Fernet-Branca and 1/3 cognac and it is prepared by mixing all the ingredients with crushed ice and adding sparkling water at the end. While the name suggests this to be a before-dinner drink, the Apotheke is to be served after and it is made by mixing 3/10 of mint cream, 3/10 of Fernet-Branca and 4/10 of cognac. Also gin can be a good base for this unique Italian amaro to shine: Don’t Give Up The Ship (a ship that I will never give up anymore) mixes 11/2 oz of gin, 1/2 oz of red Dubonnet, 1/2 oz of orange curacao and 1/2 oz of Fernet-Branca. Stirring all these ingredients with ice and serving the drink in a chilled cocktail glass will enhance the menthol breeze of the taste.
Fernet-Branca is exported worldwide: a little inspiration and a small portion of it and you’ll see why the world is so crazy about it!
-by Marta Mondelli
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