Fernet Branca is a generic term for an amaro type bitter made from a number of herbs and spices and usually served as a digestif after a meal.
The Toronto Cocktail is a cocktail the incorporates Fernet Branca and is a twist on the Manhattan Cocktail Recipe. Fernet is also the preferred post-shift bar shot of the professional bartender.
Fernet Branca Recipe:
- Cardamom
- 3 oz
- Lemon Peel
- 5 oz
- Iva Herb
- 8 oz
- Curacao Peel
- 10 oz
- Calisaya Bark
- 10 oz
- Angelica Root
- 12 oz
- Orris Root
- 1 lb
- Wormwood
- 1¼ lb
- Calamus Root
- 1¼ lb
- Bitter Orange Peel
- 1½ lb
- Gentian Root
- 2 lb
Instructions
Combine the herbs and spices in a mortar and grind to a coarse powder.
To make the Fernet Branca bitters, combine 30 ml (1 oz) of the essence with 1700 ml of 40% alcohol and 190 ml of simple syrup.
Notes:
Iva is known in Switzerland as forest lady’s herb (Wildfräulein Kraut) and has been used there for centuries as a stomachic tonic.
