Fernet

garryl

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When many of my Argentine friends show their parties on facebook, usually they are having Fernet, chirozo and cheese, that seems to be heaven for them.

I have brought a few bottles of Fernet from Argentina, and tried to introduce it to the gringo neighbors and friends in California to like it. The response is overwhelmingly the same: they are disgusted by the drink. First they try it with nothing, then mix it with coke, still " disgusting" they said. If I give them a bottle, they probably throw it to their trash can. There is quite a difference of food culture there.

Whether you love it or hate, that stuff is probably pretty bad for your health, 99% is chemicals perhaps. Fernet, chorizo and white bread = short life span.
 
Actually, the companies that make Fernet are rumored to be the largest global buyers of Tumeric- as well as a bunch of other spices and herbs. And the newer, small batch artesanal fernets that are popping up are tastier and made with better ingredients.

Personally, I took to it the first time I was in argentina, 12 years ago, and drink it pretty regular. I find about a 1/3 of my US friends will like it, 2/3 dont.
It has become a pretty big thing in hipster cocktail bars on the East and West coasts of the USA- There are at least a half dozen US made fancy Fernets, nowadays. The small batch distillery fad in the US has become huge, and several of them make Fernets. Obviously, they are for US consumption.

I make boubon cocktails with fernet from time to time, never had any returned by friends I made them for.

Now- what I DO find disgusting is Fernet Mente- its like alcoholic toothpaste.
 
When I was a little kid, occasionally I used to have tummy aches and I remember that my mother used to make me drink pure fernet. I hated it and for me it was as horrible as my stomach ache but I must say that after a while I was feeling ok.
 
Fernet is used to make craft cocktails in larger cities in the US. My cousin in atlanta is in the restaurant industry and she and her colleagues drink fernet quite frequently.
It is also good to drink it after a large meal to aid in digestion. I think it is a good potion!
 
California made Fernet wins award-
http://www.spiritedbiz.com/san-fran...ious-san-francisco-world-spirits-competition/
San Franciso also has Francisco Fernet-
https://punchdrink.com/articles/san-francisco-invents-its-very-own-local-fernet/
Denver had Leopold Fernet-
https://www.leopoldbros.com/#!fernet/c13l0
Letherbee in Chicago makes a Fernet-
http://www.letherbee.com/products

and then there is this- California drinks more Fernet than anywhere else in the USA-
https://www.supercall.com/culture/why-san-francisco-drinks-more-fernet-than-anyone-in-america

Maybe your friends in California arent throwing it away, but reselling it for a profit. At my neighborhood Chino, its ten to twelve dollars a liter. In Washington State, where I live in the USA, its over 40 dollars for a 750ml bottle. I think you are missing the boat by not taking more back to the USA and peddling it for a markup.

In the USA, I buy Mexican Coke at Costco, by the case, in medio litro bottles. Its made with sugar cane, and is noticeably tastier than both Argentine and US coke. It makes excellent Fernet and cokes. Might just have to have one tonight.
 
Fernet is very popular in San Francisco and can be had at pretty much every bar. New Orleans too. Not many other places, though.
 
Fernet is very popular in San Francisco and can be had at pretty much every bar. New Orleans too. Not many other places, though.
A bar is supposed to have many drinks, you do not see this stuff in people's kitchen. I have been one Argentine Fernet in Safeway liquor section covered in dust.
 
A bar is supposed to have many drinks, you do not see this stuff in people's kitchen. I have been one Argentine Fernet in Safeway liquor section covered in dust.

Argentine? I think probably Italian.
 
Yeah, I've never seen a Argentine amaro in the US. I'd love to find Hesperidina here, but it's not exported this way.
 
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