What Is Fernet? The Bartender's Handshake Explained
Key Takeaways:
- Fernet is a style of amaro, an Italian bitter herbal liqueur, traditionally taken as a digestivo.
- It is intensely bitter and aromatic, made from a closely guarded blend of herbs and botanicals.
- It is enjoyed neat, with cola, or as the bartender's classic shift drink.
Fernet has a reputation. It is the drink bartenders pour for each other, the bitter shot that divides a room, and a fixture of Italian and Argentine drinking culture. If you have heard it called "the bartender's handshake" and wondered what that is about, here is the full picture.
At Wooden Cork, fernet is one of the most distinctive bottles in our liqueur range. Below is what it is and how to approach it.
What Is Fernet?
Fernet is a type of amaro, the category of Italian herbal liqueurs traditionally consumed after a meal to aid digestion. It is made by macerating a blend of herbs, roots, and botanicals in spirit, then aging the result. The flavor is intensely bitter, aromatic, and minty, with notes that can include myrrh, saffron, chamomile, cardamom, and eucalyptus. Most fernet is bottled around 39 to 45 percent ABV.
The exact recipes are famously secret. The best-known brand keeps its full botanical list confidential, which is part of the spirit's mystique.
Why Bartenders Love It
Fernet earned the nickname "the bartender's handshake" because a shot of it became a way industry workers recognized one another. Its bracing, palate-resetting bitterness makes it a natural end-of-shift drink, and offering one became a small gesture of camaraderie behind the bar.
How to Drink Fernet
Fernet is traditionally served neat as a digestivo, in a small glass after a meal. In Argentina, where it is enormously popular, the standard serve is Fernet con Coca: fernet mixed with cola over ice, which softens the bitterness with sweetness and fizz. It also appears in cocktails such as the Hanky Panky and the Toronto, where a small measure adds depth and a bitter backbone.
Fernet and the Amaro Family
| Style | Bitterness | Typical Serve |
|---|---|---|
| Fernet | Very high | Neat, or with cola |
| Medium amaro | Moderate | Neat or on the rocks |
| Light amaro | Gentle, sweeter | Spritzes and aperitivo |
Fernet sits at the bitter end of the amaro spectrum. If you are exploring bitter liqueurs, you can find fernet and a range of amari in our liqueur collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does fernet taste like?
Fernet is intensely bitter, herbal, and minty, with aromatic notes of botanicals like saffron, myrrh, and eucalyptus. It is an acquired taste that many come to love.
Why is fernet called the bartender's handshake?
It became a drink bartenders shared to recognize one another within the industry, turning a shot of fernet into a gesture of mutual respect.
How do you drink fernet?
Traditionally neat as an after-dinner digestivo, very commonly mixed with cola, or as an ingredient in cocktails like the Hanky Panky.
Is fernet the same as amaro?
Fernet is a specific style within the broader amaro category. All fernet is amaro, but it sits at the most bitter, most aromatic end of the family.
