Fernet Branca & Branca Menta Recipes

[John Rosevear]

Polar's bitter lemon is okay -- it works fine with Pimm's, for instance -- but it might be a little sweet for this. Worth a shot, though.

[Chris Amirault]

When I was at Bourbon and Branch they made a nice drink for me call the Green Hornet

2 rye

.5 Fernet B

.5 Green Chartruese

I found it quite lovely. I came home and promply switched the rye out for Junipero gin and found it even a more satisfying drink. Sometimes one really gets interesting results putting two tyrants like Green Chrt. and Fernet B. in the same room.

I made the Junipero version of this tonight, but grabbed the Branca Menta instead of the Fernet Branca. It's very good, though I think I'd dial back the Menta a touch.

[Roddy]

Anyone know anything about "Fernet Bitters" as opposed to Fernet Branca?

Could this perhaps be the Fernet-style potable bitter put out by Luxardo? They also do a knock-off Campari-style bitter, too. I haven't tried that, but I do have the Fernet-style, and I think it's pretty close. I wonder if at Luxardo they cut back on the expensive saffron?

[brinza]

I was just in a Italian market this afternoon looking for flavoring syrups and came across a bottle of something called FERNET Magnoberta Bitters, so I though, what the hell. It's a decent FB sub, but it's a bit thinner tasting (maybe due to lower alcohol content), not as rich and lush as FB, but still delivers and works in cocktails (I'm enjoying it in a Bernet Frankenstein right now (with Black Bottle 10 Scotch and PeM)). When I first saw the bottle, I assumed it was a non-alcoholic bitters beverage--this is Pennsylvania. Amazingly, it's 23.5% ABV and sold in a food market . . . in Pennsylvania. Very interesting that they can sell this. I think that had me wanting to buy it more than anything. And it was only $12.95.

Another interesting aspect is that the label lists what seems to be all of the ingredients:

Aloe, quinine, gentian, rhubarb, zedoary, myrhh, chamomile, licorice, carcamon (sic), galangal, centaury, imperatoria, angelica, calumba, saffron, peppermint oil.

Perhaps bostonapothecary or someone can shed some light on a few of the more mysterious of these (zedoary? centuary? imperatoria?). I assume "carcamon" is a misprint of cardamon.

[Chris Amirault]

Photo? Very interested.

[brinza]

[Chris Amirault]

Wow. Galangal.

[brinza]

Wow. Galangal.

Why is that significant?

[bostonapothecary]

Perhaps bostonapothecary or someone can shed some light on a few of the more mysterious of these (zedoary? centuary? imperatoria?). I assume "carcamon" is a misprint of cardamon.

Zedoary, Centuary and Imperatoria are all listed in the table of botanicals common to vermouth and other flavored wines from Maynard Amerine's "Technology of Wine Making".

Centuary is listed as "European Centuary" and the table lists the whole plant as used. i feel like i've seen a tincture of it at whole foods.

Imperatoria is the italian name for masterwort or hog's fennel and the root and leaves are used.

Zedoary might be a synonym for turmeric according to botanical.com. they describe it as "The odour is camphoraceous, and the taste warm, aromatic, and slightly bitter, resembling ginger"

i couldn't find the "carcamon" listed anywhere.

[Chris Amirault]

Wow. Galangal.

Why is that significant?

Just surprised to see it. I use galangal a lot in my cooking and a little goes a loooooong way. I'd be interested to taste that to see if I can pick its distinctive taste up.

[MixnSip]

OK, this is something I came up with for the Christmas season that may seem a bit weird but I wanted to include gold, frankincense and myrrh. Frankly, you could skip the frankincense and it won't affect the taste but you do need to shoot it down to get the Wow! effect.

* 3/4 oz eggnog (preferably really, really creamy eggnog)

* Dash of cognac

* 2 drops frankincense (must be food grade)

* 1/2 – 3/4 oz Goldschlager (with its 24k gold leaf)

* 1/2 oz Fernet Branca (an Italian drink that contains myrrh)

1. Shake chilled eggnog, cognac and frankincense together and pour into a double shot glass

2. Very slowly layer the Goldschlager over the eggnog mix

3. Layer the Fernet Branca on the top

4. Give your gift to someone you know will appreciate it and watch them shoot it down

[Chris Amirault]

Brian Miller (Death & Company - NYC) made a Fernet cocktail for me that we're now calling the Second Sip. Why the second sip? Because everyone takes a second sip to try and figure it out.

2 oz Compass Box Asyla Scotch

1/2 oz Carpano Antica sweet vermouth

1/2 oz Cockburn 20 yr old Tawny Port

1/4 oz Fernet Branca

2 dashes Xocolatl Mole Bitters

Stir, strain and serve in a coupe. Please, no garnish!

Tried this with some tweaks based on what I had on hand:

2 oz Jura Superstition scotch

1/2 oz Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth

1/2 oz Lustau PX San Emilio sherry

1/4 oz Fernet Branca

2 dashes BIttermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters

Second (and third) sip indeed. A complex cup, and one that works well with these ingredients -- though I think that Carpano Antica Formula would stand up better to this onslaught than M&R.

[thirtyoneknots]

My cohort at Jeffrey's has a thing for Fernet infused with Sumatra coffee beans, and while it's kind of fun on its own, this effort might make it onto the menu:

1.5 oz Sumatra-infused Fernet

1 oz Carpano Antica

1 fresh egg

Shake very well, strain into whatever glass is handy.

I'd like to give it a spin with Bonal before finalizing it but it's definitely one of those drinks thats more than the sum of its parts. And with coffee and eggs there you've got your complete breakfast going as well.

[EvergreenDan]

Andy -- bacon-washed vermouth. You know you want to.

[thirtyoneknots]

Andy -- bacon-washed vermouth. You know you want to.

Yeah it ocurred to me but I can't actually see the flavor working in more than a gimmicky way.

Also--does fat washing even work with low-proof stuff like Vermouth? Seems like you'd just freeze the whole bottle when you tried to get the fat back out. Anybody ever try it?

[Roddy]

Tried this with some tweaks based on what I had on hand:

2 oz Jura Superstition scotch

1/2 oz Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth

1/2 oz Lustau PX San Emilio sherry

1/4 oz Fernet Branca

2 dashes BIttermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters

Second (and third) sip indeed. A complex cup, and one that works well with these ingredients -- though I think that Carpano Antica Formula would stand up better to this onslaught than M&R.

Loved, loved this drink. I used Glenfiddish, Dolin for the vermouth, and El Maestro Sierra sweet sherry.

Was at Prime Meats last night, and they have a cocktail on their dessert menu called The Swank (great name, incidentally), which uses, I believe, a Fernet rinse. I think the drink was good enough, that they should put it on their upfront menu, too.

[EvergreenDan]

Yeah it ocurred to me but I can't actually see the flavor working in more than a gimmicky way.

I was joking, although I'm disinclined to let a bad gimmick deter me from making a lousy cocktail. ;-)

Upon further reflection, I do think a smoky note could be complementary. Although I haven't tried it yet as written, it sounds lovely.

Edit: After posting this, I thought, "that seems familiar." Poor short term memory: http://egullet.org/p1791937 (Islay, Punt e Mes, Fernet).

Edited March 12, 2011 by EvergreenDan (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

When I was at Bourbon and Branch they made a nice drink for me call the

Green Hornet

2 rye

.5 Fernet B

.5 Green Chartruese

I found it quite lovely. I came home and promply switched the rye out for Junipero gin and found it even a more satisfying drink. Sometimes one really gets interesting results putting two tyrants like Green Chrt. and Fernet B. in the same room.

I tried the Green Hornet variation with Junipero gin last night. It's a good "digestif".

[Chris Amirault]

Yep, that's a keeper.

[haresfur]

When I was at Bourbon and Branch they made a nice drink for me call the

Green Hornet

2 rye

.5 Fernet B

.5 Green Chartruese

I found it quite lovely. I came home and promply switched the rye out for Junipero gin and found it even a more satisfying drink. Sometimes one really gets interesting results putting two tyrants like Green Chrt. and Fernet B. in the same room.

I tried the Green Hornet variation with Junipero gin last night. It's a good "digestif".

Would that be an "Evergreen Hornet"?

[FrogPrincesse]

Would that be an "Evergreen Hornet"?

:-) Perfect!

[TheStarvingArtist]

I too love fernet, and aside from a shot at brunch alongside my coffee, this is one of my favorite nightcaps:

It's The Always the Same, Angel

2oz rich, sweet bourbon (I like Russels 12 in this case, but pick your fave)

1/2oz brizard dark creme de cacao

1/2oz fernet branca

1 dash whiskey-barrel bitters

Lemon twist

Serve with a single large rock and a splash of water.

"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets wings.

But they never tell you: it's the always same angel.

*sips drink*

It's horrifying."

[ChrisTaylor]

When I was at Bourbon and Branch they made a nice drink for me call the

Green Hornet

2 rye

.5 Fernet B

.5 Green Chartruese

I found it quite lovely. I came home and promply switched the rye out for Junipero gin and found it even a more satisfying drink. Sometimes one really gets interesting results putting two tyrants like Green Chrt. and Fernet B. in the same room.

I tried the Green Hornet variation with Junipero gin last night. It's a good "digestif".

Once you go black brown you never go back, I guess. Or rather, I'm much more of a whiskey drinker than I am an imbiber of the juniper spirit. So I made the original. And, yeah, this is a nice drink. The Fernet, which is always about as subtle an experience as a monster truck convention, dominates early on but then the rye (Wild Turkey, in this case) creeps through and pops its head up and says hi. Nice.

[EvergreenDan]

Would that be an "Evergreen Hornet"?

Awww. Shucks.

[haresfur]

Would that be an "Evergreen Hornet"?

Awww. Shucks.

Depends on if you want to be associated with a drink that isn't very brown and more herbal than bitter. We may have to take away your moniker if you don't publish more gin cocktails