325457 Wed Sep 13 00:33:51 -0700 2006 33 36 Spirits 0 1872524 It's mind-baffling how this Italian digestif, which is so popular with San Francisco bartenders, is SO hard to find anywhere else! Most specifically, I'm trying to find it in DC. Any help? I did find one liquor store that carries it. I'm now looking for a bar so I can enjoy it when I'm out. Any help is appreciated. You can read more specifics here: http://www.yelp.com/user_details_reviews_self?fsid=pAQZ5TGQF3EA4nq_hAn3dg&review_sort=time&review_filter=category&category_filter=beer_and_wine Wed Sep 13 00:33:51 -0700 2006 24600 jennipah 1 1872528 I realized that link might now show, so here's another: http://www.yelp.com/biz/rxZzbh-vb1VY1r_glkq3iQ?hrid=hzXgorL0B_kOKB5Rs3TeiA Wed Sep 13 00:34:43 -0700 2006 1872524 24600 jennipah 1 1872677 What's amazing about that stuff is that it really works. I had some after a big dinner. By the time I finished my drink, I felt, yes, refreshed. Wed Sep 13 01:59:59 -0700 2006 1872524 11148 Alcachofa 1 1872761 You can order it on bevmo.com (I don't know if there are Beverages&More branches in DC). I hear you; it's hard to find a lot of things outside of SF! Wed Sep 13 02:40:21 -0700 2006 1872524 11577 Pei 1 1872954 Try Averna. It's a better tasting Sicilian digestive. I've been drinking it since I was 8. Wed Sep 13 04:36:40 -0700 2006 1872524 19281 2top 2 1873056 Better tasting in what way? I actually like Fernet, though I can see why others find it vile. What does Avema taste like, and is it widely available? Wed Sep 13 06:20:09 -0700 2006 1872954 11577 Pei 3 1950631 layman's answer: tastes like a cross between cola and punt y mes. Nonino amaro is even better. Tue Oct 17 02:12:53 -0700 2006 1873056 13161 barleywino 3 5127602 Averna tastes like a delicious, not-too-sweet root beer, to me. I like it. I *love* Fernet Branca. I'm probably the only Chinese restaurant in the country (or, maybe, outside of San Francisco) that stocks this liqueur. When a customer comes in and complains of no appetite or a sour stomach, I put an ounce or two of Fernet in club soda, no ice, and beseech the customer to drink it down but it's going to taste like medicine. They feel better (and hungry) in minutes! Remarkably, two of the Fernet "newbies" actually said they thought it was very, very refreshing, and that they'd have it again. Sat Oct 24 10:46:55 -0700 2009 1873056 270888 shaogo 1 1873608 "Inky soy-mahogany. Flowers, fresh herbs, licorice and mince meat. Rich texture. Lovely sensuous palate of wild, alpine fresh spice and succulent flavors. Very concentrated with a firm, yet silky presence on the palate and into the very deep, lingering finish." - Tastings.com It's a full body smooth taste with its sweetness offset by complex bitter herbs. I see it in most Italian restaurants from Boston to Miami. Wed Sep 13 15:26:10 -0700 2006 1872524 19281 2top 1 1873709 fernet's good..... Wed Sep 13 15:55:46 -0700 2006 1872524 27133 ashwood 1 1876853 also try the fernet branca mint - less bitter, and IMO more refreshing - I sometimes mix with club soda too Thu Sep 14 18:31:58 -0700 2006 1872524 37786 tdo ca 1 1882621 there are two kinds of amari, strong and mild (or half-bitter). the strong has more alcohol, more bitterness, and less sweetness. fernets are strong and averna is one of many brands of mild amari. if you like the strong stuff, try underberg. it's usually sold in gourmet stores, not liquor stores. Sun Sep 17 20:00:24 -0700 2006 1872524 17708 warrenr 2 1950614 Underberg's the stuff they sell in three-packs of those little tiny bottles, right? Like 35ml tiny. That's got a nice punch too. I got a bottle of something called "Swedish Bitters" (though it's made in Germany) from a health food store a long time ago that was similar. Europe is just crawling with weird local herbal concoctions that never see the light of day here. But Branca is the bestest. Tue Oct 17 02:03:39 -0700 2006 1882621 29289 fnarf 1 1882739 How do you use this? I have a bottle. Sun Sep 17 21:02:50 -0700 2006 1872524 40486 Cinnamon 2 1883617 It's a digestif. You sip a small amount after dinner to help settle your stomach. You can also sip or mix a small amount with seltzer before dinner as an aperitif. It's a bitter mixture of herbs and is very calming to the stomach. Mon Sep 18 12:25:09 -0700 2006 1882739 10732 JMF 2 1884170 I bought a bottle of Fernet after reading it was an important part of the worlds only true hangover cure. Some series I don't remember involving aspirin, coke, fernet, etc. I found a bottle at a local liquor store. They only had one gathering dust and seemed real happy that someone wanted to buy it. The owner actually said to the clerk, "don't re-order". Anyway, it worked as a hangover cure in that if you make yourself drink it anytime you're hungover, you'll never get hungover again. I'm sure it's an aquired taste for some, but I drank that bottle myself over about a year and never aquired a taste for it. A little like Vicks 44 with a shot of Everclear. Mon Sep 18 17:04:27 -0700 2006 1882739 10737 Bobfrmia 3 1886446 Thanks both. I have to agree re the taste. Angostura bitters I love. This was a challenge. Tue Sep 19 14:53:20 -0700 2006 1884170 40486 Cinnamon 1 1889394 I can never understand people who don't like Fernet. So much delicious in one little shot. Must be an SF thing... Wed Sep 20 15:52:27 -0700 2006 1872524 17683 fistalee 2 1893916 People either love it or hate it, it seems. I've never seen anyone have a lukewarm response. Fri Sep 22 01:41:19 -0700 2006 1889394 11577 Pei 1 1910904 Fernet is all the rage in Boston too! Fri Sep 29 15:54:13 -0700 2006 1872524 13193 ponyboy 1 1965566 Boston? Miami? What about DC? Even Italian restaurants don't seem to carry it. I usually sip my shot of Fernet, with a "ginger back" (ginger ale chaser). The quest continues... Mon Oct 23 14:05:50 -0700 2006 1872524 24600 jennipah 1 1992108 After a night of drinking there is nothing better... but you are right outside CA it is hard to find. Thu Nov 02 19:15:40 -0800 2006 1872524 41146 anejospirit 1 2098139 No problem finding Fernet Branca in NYC. Warehouse Liquors on Bway has it. I have a bottle of Averna. Do I need FB? Another question: any ideas for cocktails using Averna or FB? I tried substituting Averna for the Campari in a Negroni and it was like I poured coca-cola into my Negroni. I will try again, tweaking the proportions. Other ideas? Thu Dec 14 01:35:11 -0800 2006 1872524 16728 kenito799 2 2099077 Try a Toronto cocktail: 1 1/2 oz rye 1/2 oz Fernet Branca splash simple syrup 2 dashes Angostura bitters Thu Dec 14 14:46:30 -0800 2006 2098139 11148 Alcachofa 3 4995339 Found this on Jamesonwhiskey.com Looks good, and should pack quite a punch Blackthorn Cocktail Ingredients: 1 part Jameson 1 part Lillet Blanc or similar French Vermouth Dash Pernod Absinthe Dash Angostura Bitters Method: Stir all the ingredients on ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Tue Sep 01 06:55:03 -0700 2009 2099077 1106135 Legion 4 4996087 Where's the Fernet? Tue Sep 01 10:40:22 -0700 2009 4995339 92744 invinotheresverde 2 5142595 In Argentina they drink Fernet and Coke all the time. But when I tried to order it neat or "puro" they looked at me like I had 3 heads. Fri Oct 30 07:31:41 -0700 2009 2098139 285478 sourcandy 1 2102980 We had our Christmas party yesterday, which meant a long night of eating and drinking, I finished off the celebration with some Fernet, which by the way was wonderful and I am not referring to the taste, it just makes you feel better even the day after. Fri Dec 15 18:09:55 -0800 2006 1872524 41146 anejospirit 1 2863577 This was a long time ago, but did you find it anywhere in DC? I've been looking for it too. Mon Aug 20 15:28:34 -0700 2007 1872524 120796 kmday 2 5141179 I believe Calvert Woodley by the Van Ness Metro Stop has it - they have it listed on their website... Thu Oct 29 14:25:33 -0700 2009 2863577 247373 GinChevyChase 1 4995372 Have you tried Bourbon in Adams Morgan? I'm pretty sure they have it there... Tue Sep 01 07:09:51 -0700 2009 1872524 253651 amelia55 1 5125769 I've never had fernet, and I'm not lookign to acquire any more bottles for my bar right now. What's a more suitable sub, Cinzano Rosse or yellow chartreuse? Fri Oct 23 12:18:05 -0700 2009 1872524 110618 joshuaresnick 2 5125861 Neither of those would be a suitable substitute. It's the most intense of the amari that you can get here in the States. Nothing else has its flavor profile, although if you're going for a rosso as some sort of a sub, you'd want Carpano Antica (also a Fernet brand). Still, Branca is in a class of its own. Fri Oct 23 12:50:19 -0700 2009 5125769 61098 marais 3 5127589 I think Zwack's Unicum is more intense. Not sure if it's widely available. Sat Oct 24 10:40:47 -0700 2009 5125861 11111 Frolic