It was Italian immigrants who first carried bottles of Fernet-Branca to the United States in their suitcases, introducing the distinctly bitter digestivo to unexpecting palates. Although most Americans weren't sure what to make of it, Fernet became a rite of passage among bartenders. If a bartender poured a shot for a customer (usually another bartender) and another for themselves, it was called a "bartender's handshake." They began to recognize the spirit as eminently mixable, its bitter notes conspiring to balance sweetness, providing the energy or "bite" which causes a cocktail to sing,...
It was Italian immigrants who first carried bottles of Fernet-Branca to the United States in their suitcases, introducing the distinctly bitter digest...
Long, long ago, in the foothills of the Chartreuse Mountains of France, a group of monks set out to lead lives of contemplation and solitude. Far removed from contact with the outside world, they built a monastery and established the Order of the Carthusians. The monks mastered the formula for a medicinal brew of herbs, spices and flowers, promised as "an elixir for long life," selling bottles in nearby villages to support the Order. Over the years, the fame of the venerable liqueur spread far and wide, recognized in the modern era as eminently mixable, versatile, and indispensable in...
Long, long ago, in the foothills of the Chartreuse Mountains of France, a group of monks set out to lead lives of contemplation and solitude. Far remo...
