MOTHER’S NEW HELPER?

B efore it became cool again, people joked that only grandmothers drank gin. Well, mine did. But my ferocious great-grandmother drank Fernet Branca. So if gin seemed like a blast from the past, then just wait for this bitter, black, herbal liqueur to creep back onto bar menus.

The unapologetic Italian aperitif has long been the darling of the San Franciscan drinking scene. Bartenders there kick-start their shift with a shot of it, and sip it throughout service. They wind down with a “bartender’s handshake” (Fernet Branca and ginger beer). And they prepare themselves for a “fernightmare” the next morning, a hangover that can only be cured by — you’ve guessed it — Fernet Branca.

To the unseasoned drinker, the taste is sharp and medicinal. Fernet Branca is not a spirit that tugs at your trouser leg shouting “Like me, like me!” It’s the party guest lurking in the shadows — standoffish and rude, yet undeniably attractive.

Its secrets have never been disclosed, but the liqueur is thought to contain 27 different herbs from four different continents. Some claim its manufacturer uses 75% of the world’s saffron. Others say it contains codeine and coca leaves. Either way, Fernet

AT 39% ALCOHOL, IT’S MOST LIKELY THAT IT JUST DULLS THE SENSES

Branca is the kind of liqueur which courts rumour and speculation.

The drink was created in Milan in 1845 by Bernardino Branca. But its invention has long been attributed to Dr Fernet Svedse — a fictional Swedish medic — to try to legitimise the marketing campaign which persuaded people of Fernet’s curative properties. Throughout its history, Fernet Branca has been said to cure everything from cholera to anxiety. At 39% alcohol, it’s most likely that it just dulls the senses.

The drink is attuned to a distinctively bitter palate shaped by liquorice, radicchio, capers and Campari. But it is the Argentines who have fallen hardest for Fernet Branca. Although San Francisco has the highest per capita consumption within a city, Argentina, as a country, shifts one million cases a year — largely thanks to the national cocktail, Fernet con cola (Fernet with cola).

In South Africa, Fernet Branca mostly gathers dust on the back shelves of bottle stores, but its new popularity in the UK may seep down here. “The British palate is not as familiar with bitter beverages as other countries,” says Luca Cinalli, head bartender at London’s trendy Bar Nightjar. “But we’ve certainly noticed more of an interest in bitter cocktails.” On their drinks menu is The Toronto — Fernet Branca with bourbon, maple syrup, bitters and roasted pecan nuts.

Bartender Geoffrey Robinson says Fernet Branca has developed a cult following, “whether it’s the ‘nerdtender’ trying to challenge his palate at every opportunity, the ‘I-only-drink-obscure-stuff-you-don’t-like’ hotshot, or those who just dig aromatic, boozy liquid”. He recommends warming it up with a little honey. “But I find that nothing works like maple syrup to bring out the rich secondary flavours of chocolate and mint.”

With such a complex flavour profile, no wonder Fernet Branca is creeping from the bar into the kitchen. It has been added to chocolate truffles, Victoria sponges, and even a mackerel marinade. Perhaps it’s time to wipe off the cobwebs and give this angry, earthy, mean little spirit a second chance. — © The Daily Telegraph, London