Fernet Is The Herbal Liqueur That's A Bartender's Best Friend

Fernet is an Italian amaro, or herbal liqueur, and is one of the best-kept secrets of the bartending trade. You'll most often find fernet added to cocktails to boost bitter flavors and balance sweetness, but you can also drink it as a shot or on the rocks. Fernet has a fascinating history, originating in Europe and thriving during the prohibition era in the US. In San Francisco in the early 2000s, ordering a fernet became known as the "bartender's handshake" — a signal to other industry professionals that you were one of them and that you knew your way around a mixology table.

So, what does fernet taste like, and does it live up to the hype as a sophisticated tipple for those in the know? Well, that depends on how you like your liquor. Strong bitter flavors combined with an abrasive minty tint give fernet a reputation as a mouth-burner that can take some getting used to. Connoisseurs, however, rate it for its complex flavor profile and depth and even credit its digestive effects.

To find out more about fernet, we decided to consult an expert ourselves. We chatted with John O'Brien, Bar Manager at TLK, a health-conscious, gluten-free Hong Kong-influenced restaurant that serves cocktails in New York City. He gave us the industry low-down on this mysterious spirit and how it can be used behind the bar.

As John O'Brien notes, fernet's versatility is a big reason for its popularity among bartenders. While he observes that he has "seen some strange things done with fernet," there are generally "no mistakes" when working using the amaro. In high-end cocktail bars, you'll find a variety of drinks that contain a dash of fernet. It may be imperceptible and just there to amp up the other flavors or to add a peppermint taste.

Another reason for Fernet's popularity comes from its association with the early 2000s bar scene when craft cocktails began to experience a cultural resurgence, especially in cities like New York and San Francisco. Usually sold in a brown glass bottle, fernet was kept behind most cocktail bars but was rarely ordered, so would sit on the counter for months. This led to fernet's reputation as a drink for bartenders and catering professionals, who would reportedly take a shot of fernet at the end of their shift just as their replacement came on. This became known as the aforementioned "bartender handshake."

Fernet-Branca even issued an official coin in 2013 that was given out to long-standing bartenders to symbolize their membership in this elite community. The coin could be used to purchase a shot of Fernet-Branca and is part of various industry drinking games.

As well as Italian amari, there are several other cocktail bitters that bartenders use to mix cocktails. Angostura bitters, for example, are a spicy herb and alcohol blend that hails from Trinidad and Tobago. They're used by bartenders to give Bloody Marys a kick and to bring out the sweetness in the tomato juice. Other cocktail recipes, like for a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned, are often enhanced with a few drops of Angostura's Bitters, which have a spicy umami flavor.

Unlike Fernet, however, you cannot consume Angostura Bitters as a shot or drink by itself. Angostura is used more like a seasoning for drinks and must be added with care and to the customer's taste. If overused, these bitters can make cocktails eye-watering and undrinkable, although some punchier cocktails call for a slightly larger slug.

Like fernet, Angostura is around 35 to 45% ABV, but its alcoholic effect is limited because you don't consume much of it in a cocktail. While both are used as a flavoring agent, John O'Brien notes that "really there is no close substitute for the flavor profile of fernet." Angostura also lacks fernet's minty overtones.

If you want to drink fernet like an Italian, you'll drink a straight measure at room temperature. It's also traditionally consumed in Italy after a big meal and "provides a digestive aid," according to John O'Brien. One of the most common fernet cocktails is the Hanky Panky, which is mentioned in Charles H. Baker Jr's 1939 cocktail recipe book, "The Gentleman's Companion." A traditional Hanky Panky is made with gin, sweet vermouth, and Fernet-Branca strained over ice and garnished with an orange peel twist.

Fernet is also popularly used to brighten up a Manhattan — made with rye, vermouth, bitters, mint, and orange — or a whiskey and orange Old Fashioned. If you want a slightly lighter option, you could try a Fernet-Branca Spritz — fresh orange juice spiked with Fernet-Branca and topped up with Prosecco or champagne. Another famous option is the Decolletage, which is a mix of reposado tequila, Aperol, Dubonnet Rouge, and Fernet-Branca.

In Argentina, Fernet con Cola — fernet mixed into Coca-Cola — is extremely popular and is the country's unofficial national drink. Meanwhile, in the U.K. and the U.S., fernet and ginger beer are a niche but not unknown combo.

Like many other high-ABV drinks, fernet is surprisingly high in calories, clocking in at between 130 to 140 per serving. This is due to alcohol content rather than sugar content — fernet is low in carbohydrates compared with many other spirits and bitters. Most of the herbs used in fernet are associated with medicinal properties. For example, cinchona officinale is believed to act as an anti-inflammatory, while rhubarb root is believed to soothe digestion.

Given its potent herbal quality, fernet is also sometimes consumed as a hangover cure and is considered a digestif in Italy. While there isn't much evidence to suggest that fernet has a huge nutritional value, it is believed to cleanse the palette and make you feel more awake and alert after a large meal. Fernet also contains large quantities of saffron, which is high in Vitamin A and is supposed to boost energy. However, the amounts of any vitamin in the liqueur are incredibly trace.

Fernet can be enjoyed chilled, over ice, or at room temperature. You don't need to keep it in the fridge, but you should store it out of direct sunlight as exposure to heat can water down the flavor. Like other syrupy and high ABV liqueurs, a bottle of fernet will keep for around 6 months or even longer after opening because the high alcohol content prevents spoiling. This is why you'll often find bottles of mysterious and widely unknown spirits hanging around on bar counters, seemingly unused.

Fernet also has a low sugar content, which stops excessive bacterial growth and prolongs the liqueur's shelf life after opening. Although it will still be safe to consume after this, exposure to the air may alter the flavor and you should always check the label on your particular bottle for any expiry instructions. If you've got an unopened fernet bottle at home that you haven't got around to drinking yet, don't worry. When the bottle is still sealed, fernet has an indefinite shelf life.