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Got a bottle of Fernet? Here are the top Fernet Branca cocktails to impress your friends with this bitter Italian amaro.

Fernet branca cocktails

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:

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Fernet-branca

Toronto (Classic Fernet Branca Cocktail)


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink 1x

Description

This flavorful Toronto cocktail combines the depth and warmth of whiskey with the intrigue of herbal Fernet-Branca liqueur.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) rye whiskey
  • ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) Fernet-Branca
  • ½ tablespoon simple syrup or pure maple syrup
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • For the garnish: Orange peel

Instructions

  1. Combine the rye whiskey, Fernet-Branca, syrup and bitters in a cocktail mixing glass (or any other type of glass). Fill the mixing glass with 1 handful ice and stir continuously for 30 seconds.
  2. Strain into a glass. Garnish with an orange peel and serve.
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Shaken
  • Cuisine: Cocktails
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Fernet branca cocktails

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you’ll want to make again and again.

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4 Comments

  1. Have you ever try the Argentinian way to drink it? It’s made with Coca-Cola, ice and fernet.
    The glass has to be full of ice, then you add 30% of Fernet and 70% of Coca-Cola.

  2. i was inspired to make a gin cocktail after reading your cocktail recipes
    gin (5 times distilled )
    aromatic bitters ( i used creole bitters )
    honey syrup
    fresh lemon juice
    dry vermouth
    ice shaken till cold absolutley delicious !