Fernet Branca

Italian; bitter digestif; herbs and spices steeped in white wine and brandy.

[FAYR-nay BRAHN-kah] An extremely astringent, very brown Italian bitters. Long known as a digestif Fernet Branca originated in Milan in the early 1800s. As with most such elixirs, Fernet Branca is made from a secret formula, but this one purportedly includes some 40 ingredients including rhubarb, chamomile and myrrh. Although many use this potable primarily as a hangover cure and stomach soother, Italians enjoy the 80 proof Fernet Branca as an apéritif either straight or on the rocks.