Got a bottle of Fernet-Branca? This Italian amaro is quite the trend, an ultra bitter Italian liqueur made with a mix of herbs and spices. You can use a splash in cocktails, stir it into cola (as Argentinians do!), or even drink it straight. But it’s got such a bitter, astringent flavor that’s at its very best in cocktails. At A Couple Cooks, we’re cocktail experts with over 300 cocktail recipes under our belt. Here are our three must-try Fernet Branca cocktails, from classic cocktails to modern spins! The Fernet adds intrigue and complexity in a way no other Italian amaro can. Tip: How to pronounce Fernet-Branca? It’s Italian, so say “Fair-net brahn-ka”. Resist the temptation to make it French and say Fair-nay. Want to know more about this liqueur? Head to our Quick Guide to Fernet Branca.
And now…our top Fernet Branca cocktails!
More great Italian amaro cocktails
Fernet Branca is just one amaro in a family of liqueurs. Amaro or amari (plural) refers to a family of Italian herbal liqueurs with a bitter flavor. In fact, amaro means bitter in Italian. This family encompasses a wide range of spirits: Campari on one end, Aperol in the middle, and hundreds of varieties in between. Want more amaro cocktails? Here are some favorite classic cocktails that use these trendy liqueurs: The Toronto was first recorded in a cocktail book in 1922. Some say the cocktail originated around 1915 in Toronto by Italian immigrants who brought the amaro with them, but the exact history is uncertain. Ingredients: Canadian or rye whiskey, Fernet-branca, simple syrup, Angostura bitters This Fernet cocktail is based on a cocktail called the “Industry Sour” invented by a bartender named Ted Kilgore. The first recipe for the drink was posted in 2011. Ingredients: Fernet-branca, Green Chartreuse, simple syrup, lime juice The Hanky Panky was invented by a famous woman bartender in the 1920’s named Ada Coleman, known as “Coley.” Coley worked at the American Bar in London’s Savoy Hotel. She invented this cocktail for a famous actor (named Sir Charles Hawtrey). Apparently when he first tasted it, he exclaimed “By Jove! That is the real hanky panky!” A very 1920’s way of saying, “Dang, this drink is good.” Ingredients: Gin, sweet vermouth, Fernet-branca
Black Manhattan with Amaro Averna Amaro Spritz with Amaro Meletti Paper Plane with Amaro Nonino Quintessentia Brooklyn with Amaro Tosolini Cynar Negroni with Cynar Classic Negroni or Jungle Bird with Campari Aperol Spritz or Naked and Famous with Aperol
No reviews
