Peppermint Bark (Original Recipe)

 

This cocktail took several tries to get right. The first mistake I made was using any citrus juice. It was unnecessary--it made a good drink but not the drink I was going for. 

I guess I should explain that this original cocktail was an attempt at making peppermint bark in liquid form that can get you drunk. I imagined not only a dry-tasting, spirits-forward cocktail, but one that had the flavor of milk chocolate, mint and holiday sweets without using cream like so many dessert drinks tend to do. I wanted this drink to be an anytime of the day sipper, but especially on holidays. 

I came up with the solution of adding just a tsp. of simple syrup and several drops of Fernet Branca for a sweet and bitter balance that made this peppermint bark cocktail taste more adult than other candy-like versions. 

• 1 1/2 oz. gin (MurLarkey ImaGination used)
• 1/2 oz. MurLarkey cocoa whiskey
• 1/4 oz. white creme de menthe
• 1 tsp. Fernet Branca

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled coupe.

Black Magic (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

A Stinger is a beautiful thing. Usually served on ice and a simple pairing of cognac and creme de menthe, Stingers are surprisingly satisfying and balanced. This cocktail is Death & Co.'s attempt to add depth and quality to what often is thought of as a low-brow cocktail or a waste of good cognac. 

Quality comes from from Marie Brizard white creme de cacaco (which I've never tried, but I'm sure my mass-produced creme de menthe doesn't match up. Depth comes from the Fernet-Branca, which is earthy and mentholated. In small proportions, Fernet adds a dark chocolate note rather than overwhelming the drinker with bitterness. An absinthe rinse often is lost in a coupe glass, but this recipe is necessarily short so that the sides remain coated. Absinthe in this situation complements the cognac and gives an herbal high note to counter Fernet's bitter low notes.

That is the philosophy of this drink. You will find that Stinger fans will love it, and Fernet drinkers will enjoy it before asking for a Fernet-Branca chaser. 

• Vieux Pontarlier Absinthe (Ricard used)
• 1 oz. cognac (Martell single distillery used)
• 1 oz. Angostura 5-year rum (Rhum Barbancourt 5-year rum used)
• 1/2 oz. white creme de cacao 
• 1 tsp. Fernet-Branca
• 1 tsp. simple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled coupe glass. 

Frisco Club (Death & Co. Recpe)

 

The Death & Co. cocktail book includes this riff on a Pegu Club with Fernet Branca and grapefruit juice. I'm pretty sure that changing the name to Frisco club is a nod to how much the bartenders of San Francisco love Fernet Branca. In the industry this is a well-known fact and anyone in the service industry can count on an out of town San Franciscan to request a shot or cocktail made with the stuff.

The nice thing about this cocktail is that it satisfies the itch of the shaken gin cocktail drinker without putting them off because of the bitterness. Instead, the bitterness gives backbone to the grapefruit juice. A brief note about blood orange liqueur: there's not much of that available. Aperol or in my case, Ambrosia, are fair substitutes with their rich, sweet citrus flavors. 

• 2 oz. gin (Citadelle gin used)
• 1/2 oz. Solerno blood orange liqueur (Don Ciccio & Figili Ambrosia used)
• 1/4 oz. Fernet Branca
• 3/4 oz. grapefruit juice
• 1/4 oz. lime juice
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• grapefruit twist garnish

Combine all ingredients except garnish in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Squeeze the grapefruit zest over the glass and garnish with it as a twist. 

Stazione

 

Okay, if you love Fernet Branca like I do and you are looking for a quick way to enjoy it with other Italian spirits, this is totally it. 

Fernet is extremely bitter and mentholated spirit that was intended as a vitamin and mineral supplement. Now it is pretty much the shot of choice for bartenders when they get off work. But it isn't for everyone. This quick (and not dirty) cocktail is a sure fix for those newly initiated to Italian spirits.

• 1 oz. Fernet Branca
• 1 oz. Cocchi di Torino vermouth
• 1 oz. Strega
• orange twist garnish

Combine liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain in to a chilled Nick & Nora glass and garnish with the twist. 

(Napoleon's) Corpse Reviver

One of two Corpse Reviver recipes in the New American Bartender's guide, this one is not accompanied with a number like most. It is, however similar to the Savoy Corpse Reviver, which I haven't done for the blog, it being a bar guest request.

The difference is that instead of brandy, I used the brandy-based liqueur Mandarine Napoleon. This lead me to adopting the name Napoleon's Corpse Reviver for this particular variation. As all Corpse Revivers are intended as hangover remedies, as such, they are a mix of the liquors that the drinker had the night before--sometimes with a bracing effect.

That supports my use of Mandarine Napoleon, a citrus and spice cognac liqueur. Along with Frenet Branca and a mint liqueur, it has a refreshing morning cocktail finish. The minty scent may even help dispel the rumors that the drinker is hung over.

• 3/4 oz. brandy (Mandarine Napoleon used)
• 3/4 oz. white creme de menthe
• 3/4 oz. Fernet Branca

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Fernet Branca Cocktail

You don't have to love Fernet Branca to appreciate the balance of bittersweet notes in this mostly gin cocktail. I consider this cocktail to be quintessentially Italian and I wanted an Italian-tasting gin like MurLarkey's ImaGination gin. This has rosemary and basil as botanicals and it is so herbaceous while it remains very dry in a cocktail.

The real dry and bitter flavor comes from Fernet Branca. The sweet vermouth, however tames the menthol flavor of the spirit, for those who are not fans of that, but you do get more caramel and earthiness that otherwise is overpowered when you have Fernet by itself.

• 2 oz. gin (ImaGination gin used)
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth (Cocchi Dopo Teatro used) 
• 1/2 oz. Fernet Branca

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Bonsoni

This is a very balanced Italian cocktail with a very Italian name. I don't love Fernet Branca as much an many people say I should. That is to say it is not always my spirit of choice and I find it difficult to work into cocktails without overwhelming everything else. But this is a simple and elegant cocktail that uses Fernet Branca sparingly and pulls of the proper balance by simply adjusting the proportions.

I recommend a rich Italian vermouth like Cocchi with this drink. For one, it keeps with the Italian theme. But it also ensures that necessary balance with the Fernet Branca. I'm using their Dopo Teatro vermouth, which is extra bitter and has a lot of oak barrel weightiness. Perfect for balancing Fernet.

• 3 oz. sweet vermouth (Cocchi Dopo Teatro used)
• 1 oz. Fernet Branca
• lemon or orange peel

Combine liquors in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist citrus zest over the drink and drop it in.

Gin Bolognese

I like this cocktail. I like its name, too. A kind of mix of things that are gin and also go with gin. There's something quaint and quintessentially Italian about it. First it uses Fernet Branca unabashedly and doesn't try to sweeten things up at all. Then there's the half ounce of orange bitters! A half ounce! The Gin Bolognese is by far the most dry and bitter cocktail I've ever had. And yet, it is still balanced and enjoyable. Just make sure to make it your first drink of the night.

Here MurLarkey ImaGination gin is a perfect pairing because of its basil and rosemary botanicals. I like how it accentuates the Italianness of this cocktail. 

• 1 1/2 oz. gin (MurLarkey ImaGination gin used)
• 1/2 oz. Fernet Branca
• 1/2 oz. orange bitters (homemade used, but I recommend Regan's)
• lemon twist

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist lemon zest over the glass and drop it in. 

Bourbon Branca

This is a simple cocktail that combines two very unlike things. I love how bourbon softens the dryness of Fernet Branca, adding vanilla notes to the menthol and earthy Italian spirit. For this cocktail, I chose the whiskey that is iconic of Kentucky bourbon flavor, Evan Williams Bottled in Bond edition. It is strong and smooth, with a vanilla and hazelnut nose and a sweet center and nutty finish. The recipe says that the lemon twist is optional. I strongly advocate for it if you have fresh fruit. It ties these two spirits together. Without citrus zest they tend to fight each other for your attention.

• 2 oz. Bourbon
• 1 tsp. Fernet Branca
• lemon twist (cut zest in a long strip and use a sharp knife to shape it into a shoestring width. Twist it over the drink and drop it in)

Combine all ingredients except zest in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with long lemon twist.

Paparazzi #2

This is the second Paparazzi cocktail after the better known one with Campari. I have to say that I like this one much better, especially because it is a little more of a stand-out recipe. There aren't many Fenet Branca cocktails out there, while a mostly Campari with a splash of vodka isn't doing a lot to change the original flavor of the spirit.

On the other hand the Paparazzi #2 is the best Fernet Branca cocktail I've ever had. It is a wonderful balance of both bitter and sweet liqueurs and numerous spices. The overall effect is rich, with very little acidity, so it comes across as an after dinner drink. But really this is much more of a Manhattan variation.

Fernet Branca is a dark, dry, and very herbaceous and earthy Italian spirit. Originally intended as a vitamin and mineral substitute, Fernet Branca has menthol and root botanicals that make it a helpful more of a stomach soothing tonic following a meal. The Paparrazi #2 cuts the bitterness of Branca with vanilla and bolsters it with caramel and vanilla notes from sweet vermouth and anise spice from anisette (anesone). For this recipe I substituted the mellow yet pungent flavor of Ricard Pastis.

• 1 1/2 oz. bourbon (Evan William's Bonded Bourbon used)
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth (Cocchi Dopo Teatro used)
• 1/2 oz. Fernet Branca
• several dashes anisone* or Pernod (Ricard Pastis used)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

*Anesone is a clear anise spirit that is higher in alcohol and stronger in flavor than anisette.

Yodel

Frenet Branca is so bitter and rooty that you don't find it in many cocktails. People either love it or hate it, and there's not much a cocktail can do to change that. The Yodel, however is the best Frenet Branca cocktail I've tried. It has some of the "just brushed my teeth and drank orange juice feel," but with soda, it's not unpleasant. And it might even turn people on to this fernet.

• 3 oz. Fernet Branca
• 4 oz. orange juice
• sparkling water

Build drink in a highball glass full of ice. Top with sparkling water and stir. 

Savoy Corpse Reviver (Revisited)

Fernet Branca is like taking your medicine. You waffle between whether it soothes or makes you feel more ill. I don't recommend this drink unless you are really sick or hung over, but I was surprised at how much white creme de menthe makes the drink more palatable. It is my first experience with something like this, Fernet blending in in any shape or form. Fernet Branca is pretty minty itself, and creme de menthe occupies a lot of the bitter and unpleasant space that the Fernet usually takes up. I found that this drink improves dramatically when had with cookies.

• 1 oz. Fernet Branca
• 1 oz. brandy
• 1 oz. creme de menthe

Combine all ingredients with ice in a shaker. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Hanky Panky

I really enjoyed this spicy cocktail that makes use of Fernet Branca as the bitters. Fernet Branca is a very bittier Italian aperitif with lots of rooty and minty flavors. It is almost too much to stand by itself, but as a few drops in an aged gin cocktail with its own bitter vermouth, it seems right at home. This is a pretty masochistic cocktail, and the first I've made since getting back from France.

• 1 1/2 oz. gin (Bluecoat barrel aged reserve used)
• 1 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica used)
• several dashes Fernet Branca
• Orange peel twist

Combine all ingredients except twist in a shaker with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with twist.

Corpse Reviver #2

This was the most complicated drink I made in Mexico, and it lived up to its name. It woke me up after an afternoon of day drinking. It's the Fernet Branca, a bitter wine liqueur that has a funny mint flavor in the finish. Some Corpse Revivers have brandy and creme de menthe. I felt that the Fernet Branca made creme de menthe redundant. Others have apple brandy and sweet vermouth. I was going for the Harry Craddock Corpse Reviver #2 (the gin version) but substituted in Grand Marnier for the Cointreau and it turned out ok. I recommend for drinkers who like a light cocktail to try it with Cointreau, though.

1 1/2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. Fernet Branca
1/2 oz. lemon juice
3/4 oz. Grand Marnier

Combine all ingredients in a shaker over ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.