No one has a neutral notion about fernet . It ’s either the most underrated John Barleycorn in the world or the worst tasting feel in macrocosm . The dark , botanicaldigestif , which has a taste that could be described as a compounding of black licorice , cough sirup and sulphurous herbs , is dissentious , to say the least . And yet , the Italian John Barleycorn has found a little turning point of the human beings that welcome it with open sleeve and empty shooter glasses : San Francisco , California .
San Francisco is , allegedly , responsible for consuming35 per centum of the fernetimported into the nation and people there drinkmore of it per capitathan anywhere in the reality ( Argentina is the only other place that may love it more — it ’s their internal drink ) .
Though it first made its direction into the U.S. in the recent 1800s , fernet did n’t experience popularity until Prohibition , when it remain legal thanks to its medicinal properties — it was originally market to apothecary’s shop as a therapeutic - all that could treat anything from anxiousness to cholera . San Francisco occupier , in fussy , started drink in more and more of the herbaceous poppycock . plainly Northern Californians were just a little more “ anxious ” and in pauperization of “ treatment ” than others . With all that murkiness and all those earthquakes , who can blame them ?
In the early 2000s , San Francisco ’s bartenders began embracing fernet ( Fernet Branca in particular ) as their theme song post - shift deglutition . Fernet became a form of secret language for those in the industry . If a barman poured a dig of Fernet Branca for a customer ( normally another bartender ) and another for themselves , it was called a “ mixologist ’s handshake . ”
Before long , the hipster population caught on and started mimic their bartender pal , sipping shoot down after shot of Fernet Branca . Now , you ’d be intemperately pressed to find a San Francisco bar that did n’t feature fernet on the menu . The traditional manner to drink fernet is in a square shot , sometimes dog with a powdered ginger ale back , which is how it is service atR Bar — the most popular San Francisco fernet joint . But other barroom have capitalized on the phenomenon by have fernet in other ways .
AtBeretta , the brunch menu includes Italian Cola , made with both dry and sweet vermouth , fernet and soda ash . And , rumor has it their underground “ raspberry menu ” offers a Fernet Jelly — a small public square of gelatinized fernet in a vino glass , topped with a humble pour of ginger syrup and orange juice . Teeth SFhas a powerful cocktail call Mayhem made with Bulleit rye , calvados , orange bitters , Peychaud ’s bitters and Fernet Branca . AndRock Barhas three fernet - ground cocktail on their carte du jour , including one called the Spanky Wanky made with young genever , sweet vermouth and fernet .
Some bars recreate on fernet ’s pernicious sweet notes by incorporating it into sweet cocktails , such asRich Table’sRich Coffee , made with coffee , creme de cacao , pistachio cream , brown sugar and fernet . Trick Dogeven take a crap a mint chocolate chip and fernet methamphetamine hydrochloride ointment . Those interested in try unlike variety of fernet should dangle by theCabin Barfor their fernet flights , featuring Fernet Branca , Menta , Vallet , Angelico and a mansion barrel - aged fernet . And if you ’re just a straight up fernet fiend , many bars serve fernet on tap .
“ Fergins , ” as those who have never savour fernet are called , may never number to realize why anyone would pay to drink such a disputative spirit . But San Franciscans have drink the brownish , bitter Kool - Aid . If you ever hit the bars in the City by the Bay , do yourself a favor and order two stroke of fernet — one for you and one for your barkeeper . You ’ll imbibe like a big businessman for the relaxation of the night .
