'Ok, what do you want?'
'How 'bout Fernet?'
'What the hell is that?'
'Ummm....it's kinda like Jaeger, but not as sweet.'
'Are you crazy?! That sounds disgusting.'
'Yeah, it kinda burns, but it supposedly helps with hangovers....'
And so the story has gone with quite a few of my friends, and I'm sure with many other people who are also trying to convince their friends to partake in this bitter beverage. So, what is Fernet? Or as it's properly called, Fernet Branca? Well, to many in San Francisco, it's a well known industry drink (I'm talking about restaurant/hospitality industry), to others, it's just a bitter, burning liquid that looks a bit like coffee and smells like a really potent cough syrup. Fundamentally, it's an Italian bitter that helps with digestion.
So, now that I've painted such a lovely picture of this drink, many of you probably wonder, why do I and many of my fellow colleagues actually drink this stuff? Well, as I've already hinted at, it helps with hangovers as well as helping with such things as digestion and stomach aches.
How does it do this? That I cannot not tell you, at least not specifically. Fernet Branca is a 'secret family recipe,' claiming to be made from about 40 different herbs. Originally marketed as a sort of medicine, it has now landed in SF as a popular beverage for us late-night folks. We are notorious for being up at odd hours, eating late, and partying hard. And for many, we believe that Fernet helps us do this and recover in time to do it all over again (or so I hear, clearly I have never behaved in this manner.)
San Francisco actually has one of the highest consumption rates of Fernet in the world. Why this is, I can not explain either, perhaps the marketing campaigns just worked that much better here. Most often you would order a shot of it with a ginger back (a shot of ginger ale to follow your shot of Fernet.) But I've also had it with Stella Artois, coke and cranberry juice. Usually if you order it, your bartender or server will assume you're also in the industry and may ask where you work, cause that's usually the only people who order it... The few times I've ever had someone order it, they were either in the industry or if Italian descent.
I've actually taken a break from Fernet, but for the sake of my loyal readers (I hope there's at least one...), I've jumped back into the mix of things and gone back to testing Fernet for you. In the process of my research, I was able to find a couple of drinks that use Fernet. Actually, I really didn't find that many, I think most people drink it straight. But I did try it mixed with Coke, just like a rum and coke but with Fernet instead of rum. Unfortunately, I think the bartender, sensing a fellow industry person tried to 'hook me up' and it was more like Fernet with a splash of Coke. It burned going down, but part way through, not sure if it getting watered down, I was getting used to it, or I was just getting drunk, it actually didn't taste so bad. After that, I moved onto the next drink called a 'Hanky Panky.' It's equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and a couple of splashes of Fernet, shaken and then served straight up. I have to admit, I was not looking forward to this drink, but surprisingly really enjoyed it. I would maybe order it again. FYI, I ordered it with Sapphire, in case anyone wants to try this drink themselves.
But the all important question, does it actually prevent hangovers? Well, I say yes and no. There have been nights where I've had a lot to drink and I will try to start with a shot and end with a shot and I often wake up hangover free. However, there have been those other nights where I drink a lot and I think nothing would have saved me. In the end, you have to remember Fernet is still alcohol, 80 proof alcohol, so it can only help you so much before it also curses you. Do I actually like the stuff? Not really, but hey, if it's gonna help me avoid a hangover, I'll drink it. And sometimes, although very rarely, I do actually like that burning menthal flavor...but maybe by then, it's already too late for me.
