Fernet-Branca

Fernet-Branca

Type	Amaro bitters (fernet)
Manufacturer	Fratelli Branca Distillerie
Country of origin	Milan, Italy
Introduced	1845
Alcohol by volume	39%
Flavour	Bitter

Fernet-Branca is a brand of amaro bitters, specifically a fernet. Bernandino Branca invented the Fernet-Branca bitter in Milan, Italy in 1845.^[1] The brand soon thereafter gained popularity, leading to the founding of the Fratelli Branca Distillery.

Intensely bitter since its inception in 1845, Fernet-Branca has been produced according to the original recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation. The bitters are made from 27 herbs and other ingredient. The exact formula is a trade secret known only to the Fernet-Branca president, Niccolò Branca, who personally measures out the aromatics during the production process.

The same manufacturer also offers a sweeter, bitter mint-flavored Branca Menta.

Fernet-Branca is often consumed neat as a digestif, typically served in a cordial glass, or as a mixing component (usually supportive and not as the primary ingredient) in cocktails such as the "Toronto", the "Fanciulli", and the more prolific "Hanky Panky". Fernet-Branca has enjoyed a recent growth in popularity in the United States particularly due to an increase in the interest in and mixing/serving of "vintage" cocktails.

As a fernet, the beverage has a higher ABV (39%) and lower sugar content than most other amaros.^[2]

In Popular Culture

Fernet-Branca is the drink of choice of Alfred Pennyworth (played by Michael Caine) in the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises.
Bill Cosby has told stories of using a glass of the beverage to relieve a severe case of indigestion brought about by eating barbecued sparrow.
The drink features in the comic novel Cooking with Fernet Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson.

References

↑ "Fernet-Branca History".
↑ "The Fuss About Fernet-Branca". Drink Spirits. 3 November 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fernet Branca.