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Anyone else like Fernet? I enjoy it with a ginger beer chaser. Only brand available near me is Fernet-Branca. If anyone knows another brand that's worthwhile, do let me know.

Stock Fernet and Stock Fernet Citrus. I have been enjoying the former with tonic a while ago.

Fernet Menta is good too. I use Branca in my espresso on weekends.

I don't believe the Citrus is available in the states. At least, I've never seen it.

The citrus is good with tonic.

Orange?!? (Glad I don't have to find a rhyme)

Is the citrus and orange the same? Either case, I'll be buying a bottle of the orange!

I believe that they are 30% and different main citrus flavour, but the rest is the same, although I do not recall ever seeing the orange one on the shelves.

I had an occassion to re-visit Fernet Branca yesterday. It is more bitter than Stock's, has a more profound gentian, cinchoma bitterness, lower wormwood, very fruity angelica on the nose. Heavy, so one glass is sufficient after a meal; yet a good sipper.

I have to say I'm somewhat amused (and not in the most sympathetic way) with bitter beverages such as Fernet that get billed as both an aperitif and digestif. Bitter flavors, particularly herbal, are well established for promoting gastric secretions and thus priming the appetite. But some of them are just not the last flavor you want in your mouth before savoring a well prepared and anticipated meal. That's why I think some of them wind up billed as better after the meal. I think of the proper role of a digestif as being more settling for the full stomach. Gently warming, maybe. But some of these damn herbal concoctions are able to multitask better than a mother with a full-time career. Humbling.

Definitely a digestif to help the digestion of helluva of food. So it was served yesterday.

Even with all that mentholyptus flavor, eh?

You mean Branca Menta, I mean the regular, which although contains mint and melissa, but not in such a high proportion.

No, I was indeed referring to Fernet Branca, the flavor of which has been better described as "a mentholated punch in the face". Works for me. Perhaps there is no mint in it, yet, cooling it is.

Maybe there are some varieties? That one I had was light on menthol, there was some cooling in the finish, but it was not overwhelming, though, gentian and cinchoma were stronger.

I'm with Tits on this one. The Fernet flavor I'm familiar with does not conger up the idea of "a mentholated punch in the face". I have heard the flavor referred to as reminiscent of coffin polish though.

See the difference (hail from 1864 or such)

Just the basics:

Czech Fernet:

90g calamus
90g gentian root
90g wormwood
50g orris root
50g angelica root
350g of lemon peel
150g of cardamom

Italian Fernet:

33g gentian root
25g orange peel
25g pontica
25g curacao peel
8g fresh orange peel
3g cardamom
3g cinnamon

"If you can imagine getting punched squarely in the nose while sucking on a mentholated cough drop, you'll have an idea of Fernet-Branca's indelicate first impressions."

From SF Weekly, here:
http://www.sfweekly.com/2005-12-07/news/...f-fernet/1

Have created my own:

#1 (maple syrup)



#2 (additionally walnut and aronia nalewkas-flavoured)



Will be comparing with the original soon, but the direction seems to be right and it is no use paying for branca, when you can approximate it at home.

That looks tastey.

That looks tastey.

How desperate are those house wives?

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Desperate enough to regurgitate?

You've had a taste of yourself, then?