A shot of Fernet-Branca is the bartender’s handshake, or so I was told when I was given my first taste of the intensely aromatic Italian amaro at the Griffin in Shoreditch, east London. But maybe it should be called the chef’s handshake too, given its cult status in the foodie world. This pub, so often frequented by chefs and kitchen workers, has its own gleaming Fernet-Branca tap – a testament to both its place in hospitality culture and its popularity among the pub’s culinary clientele.
So what does it taste like? It’s complicated. Let’s begin with the fresh herbal notes of peppermint, gentian and angelica, the bitterness of cinchona, and then move into hot spice and floral flourishes – saffron, rhubarb, iris, chamomile and myrrh. A decadent melange of exotic ingredients, every sip of Fernet-Branca is a taste of Italian heritage and culinary prestige. It’s a bitter drink, from Italy’s long history of traditional liqueur tonics made in monasteries by monks as digestifs from as far back as the 13th century.
Once upon a time, Fernet-Branca was touted as a cure for all kinds of ailments. And although such claims don’t stand up to modern medical scrutiny, there is still one particular use that many swear by, including London chef and St John restaurant founder, Fergus Henderson. “I like to drink it straight up – the perfect way to alleviate any haywire feelings from a night of fun and perhaps a little excess,” he says. “It is a beautiful herbaceous creation, and we should share the secret mixture of wonderful things, and their transformative powers, more widely.”
At St John, Fernet-Branca is a fixture on the bar menu, and fundamental to its signature Dr Henderson cocktail. “Two parts Fernet-Branca, one part crème de menthe, poured over a large ice cube for good measure,” Henderson says.
‘It’s like a club. A cult, maybe’
“God bless Fernet!” Max Halley, the effervescent owner of cult north London restaurant Max’s Sandwich Shop, booms down the phone. Like many chefs, he enjoys the digestif properties of the amaro, which claims to settle the stomach after eating. However, the cult status of Fernet-Branca creates an additional mystique that ramps up his enjoyment. “So many people still haven’t heard of it – it’s like this well-known secret,” he says. “And that makes being someone who does like it feel special.”
For those in the know, the brand is instantly recognisable, with its deep green bottle and bald eagle and globe logo. What’s interesting about the label is its weighty apothecary-like font, harking back to the days of Fernet-Branca’s creation in 1845, when it wasn’t simply an aperitif but a remedy designed to cure stomach aches and even cholera. An intricate distillation of 27 ingredients, many of them secret, Fernet-Branca’s complexity is what turned an Italian alchemist’s tonic into a world-famous cult classic, and one of Halley’s favourite brands. “It’s cool as fuck!” he says. “It’s got this functional but eye-catching design – it’s like brutalist architecture!
“In the sandwich shop, when someone orders a shot of Fernet-Branca, I always ask them: ‘Where do you work?’ You just know they’ve come from the kitchen or the bar,” Halley adds. “I’ve got a Fernet-Branca coin, I take it with me everywhere. When you flash that in a bar, the staff show you if they have one, and you get a free shot of Fernet-Branca each to drink together. It’s like a club. A cult, maybe.”
These coins – which symbolise hospitality-community membership – are, like everything Fernet-Branca does, thoughtfully designed. There’s even a yearly Fernet-Branca coin challenge, which sees bartenders design a new coin. The most recent iteration was created by a bartender in Liverpool to incorporate ideas of the hospitality industry as a fraternity of creativity and connection.
At Max’s Sandwich Shop, Fernet-Branca is served in three different ways: as a shot; as an essential ingredient of a hanky panky cocktail; and with coke, which is called “a la Argentine”.
From Italy to Argentina
Oh, yes, Argentina loves Fernet-Branca. In fact, it’s said Argentinians now drink more than three times the amount of Fernet-Branca as Italians. It’s all down to the Italian heritage of many of its citizens. They couldn’t live without Fernet-Branca bookending their meals, nor could they wait for bottles to be shipped halfway across the world, so they built a factory to make enough of it to satisfy their thirst for a touch of bitterness – the only Fernet production facility outside Milan. Its many mingling flavours work beautifully as a long drink with Coca-Cola, so much so that it has become Argentina’s unofficial national cocktail.
Fernet-Branca works as an ingredient in its own right, too. As a self-confessed foodie, its complex flavour stirs my culinary imagination. In the spirit of Argentina, my thoughts turn to asado (barbecue), and the idea of glazing ribs or ham before allowing those herbal aromas to caramelise over the flame. My mind travels to Italy next, where I dream of mushrooms and chestnuts blended into paté with Fernet-Branca in the mix to add layer upon layer of flavour, turning a simple dish into a showstopper. The bittersweet liqueur would also work in a risotto alla Milanese, beautifully cutting through its parmesan-laced creaminess.
What started as remedy, then became a traditional Italian amaro for sipping with friends and family, is now a global calling card in the restaurant world. It’s not just a liqueur, it’s a lifestyle, complete with matching tattoos for the bravest acolytes. Ordering a Fernet-Branca has a double meaning to millions of people – it means you’re part of the club, a friend of the trade. Perhaps the bitter taste of Fernet-Branca might not immediately remind you of the sweetness of friendship but, after a while, the feeling grows. Soon, you’ll be a part of it too.
Try Fernet-Branca, available at Waitrose