Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

3 Essential Fernet Cocktails To Make at Home

By

Not many spirits inspire quite the response that Fernet does. The dark Italian amaro has long been adored by bartenders and certain corners of the world for its incredibly distinctive profile. But for every soul who loves the stuff, there seems to be an equal or greater number of folks who find Fernet utterly repulsive.

The flavor is a bit polarizing and part of the draw is the secret recipe, something quite common among European amaro. It is wildly bitter, with notes of menthol, anise, and fresh-plucked herbs. Fernet is a witches’ brew of chamomile, cardamom, rhubarb, aloe, saffron, and more atop a base of grape spirits. It pours nearly opaque and remains popular among industry types, ever-thirsty for a post-shift drink that’s anything but ordinary.

Recommended Videos

An estimated three-quarters of all Fernet is consumed in Argentina. The South American nation is obsessed with throwing it in a glass with some Coke, or with some coffee or espresso after a meal. Several brands are in orbit with the most popular and iconic being Fernet-Branca. The brand is headquartered is Milan but thanks to all the love it gets in Argentina, has one additional distillery in Buenos Aires.

Fernet-Branca Manhattan Cocktail on Table
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you have bartender friends, you’ve probably already sipped the stuff straight. It’s been a go-to and invigorating pour within the drinks inner-circle for a couple of decades now. But Fernet also mixes well, if you’re careful. It plays well with ingredients like ginger (try it in a Moscow Mule) as well as citrus (also try it with gin or in place of gin in a Tom Collins).  If the flavor is for you, try it with a splash of soda water. If Fernet is too fierce for you, experiment with adding a dose or two to your favorite coffee drink as the roasted beans can take some of the sting out of the stuff.

Related

Here are a few more cocktails to consider as you learn your away around the cultish amaro:

Fernet Manhattan

This riff on the classic cocktail demonstrates how a little Fernet can go a long way in the glass. It matches well with bourbon but does especially well alongside a sweet and aromatic vermouth.

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz bourbon  
  • 1 oz Antica Formula  
  • .25 oz Fernet-Branca  

Method:

In a mixing glass half-filled with ice, combine the bourbon, Antica Formula and Fernet-Branca. Stir until chilled, about 30 seconds. Garnish with a preserved cherry. 

Fernet Old Fashioned

Tempering Fernet can sometimes be an issue but nothing a little sweetness can’t handle. Here, the sugar cube does the heavy lifting, rounding out Fernet’s edgier side.

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz Rye or Bourbon 
  • .25 oz Fernet-Branca 
  • 1 sugar cube 

Method:

In the bottom of a rocks glass, muddle the sugar cube and Fernet-Branca. Add rye or bourbon and a large ice cube and stir until chilled. Garnish with an orange twist.  

Hanky Panky

Gin and Fernet combine to create an extremely fragrant cocktail here, one you can leisurely sniff and enjoy as the many layers meld over time.

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz Fernet-Branca 
  • 1.5 oz gin 
  • .75 oz Antica Formula Vermouth 

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a glass with ice. Stir until well chilled. Strain into a glass.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mark Stock
Mark Stock
Contributor
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
The 11 best grill and smoker recipes to make now
Tasty recipes to cook on your gas, charcoal, or pellet grill
Ducks in the Pig Pen

It's that time of year again when we neglect our Dutch ovens, slow cookers, and air fryers for our outdoor char-grilling and smoking devices. It doesn't matter if you're cooking with gas, charcoal, or pellets. The main is you're outside enjoying the nice weather with a a cold beer.

While everyone loves a tasty burger or hot dog, they can get boring after a while. Sometimes, we want to flex our culinary muscles at our grills and for anyone else who may be just hanging around us for the cold beer.

Read more
Get creative: How to use hibiscus in your cocktails this spring
How to use hibiscus in cocktails
Alcoholic cocktail with pieces of fruit and berries in a bowl

Hibiscus is a great ingredient to incorporate into your cocktail game. Offering radiant color and a unique flavor, the flower is often converted to tea but also can be used as a syrup, lesser-known liqueur, soda, and more. And we especially like it in a good spring cocktail, as hibiscus is both floral and refreshing.

Why hibiscus in a cocktail? Because your mixology game could use a little creativity. There are enough boring cocktails out there made with the same old lineup of ingredients. Those are fine for regulars, but you're a budding cocktail artist.

Read more
How to make the perfect carnitas, according to a chef
Check out these tips and tricks to make chef-worthy carnitas
Pork carnitas tacos

If you’ve ever had street tacos, whether from an actual street vendor or an upscale restaurant, you’ve likely had carnitas — whether you knew it or not. Carnitas grew in popularity through Mexican street tacos, but people use it in various dishes, from nachos to chimichangas. Carnitas are most commonly known to be pork, but it can really be any sort of meat cooked in its own fat (confit). The word carnitas in Spanish translates to "little meats."

You can learn how to make carnitas at home -- it isn't difficult. However, it’s not just a matter of throwing a chunk of pork in a pot, and then it turns into delicious carnitas. There are some crucial steps to cooking the perfect batch of carnitas. That’s why we reached out to an expert in Mexican cuisine.

Read more