Using alternative brands of fernet plays down the intensely minty, medicinal profile this co*cktail would otherwise have.
The rich cinnamon and baking-spice flavors of the fernet brings a flavor of black tea forward while the orange fragrance also comes through.
When I first toldDanielabout this co*cktail, I described it as an easy fall whiskey drink with fernet, stirred, strong, and spicy.
"Yes to the fernet!" he responded.
So I must apologize, because thisisan easy (and delicious) fall whiskey drink, just like I said, using rye, a little triple sec, and fernet—but notthatfernet.
Fernet-Branca, the brand of fernet you're probably most accustomed to seeing, is far from the only one around, and it wasn't even the first. InAmaro, expert-in-all-things-bitter Brad Thomas Parsons says that, while the category is loose, fernets generally have a few things in common: a high ABV (between the high 30s and 50%), a dark brown color, and certain herbs, including myrrh, saffron, chamomile, rhubarb root, aloe ferox, and mint, though the exact recipes are generally kept hush-hush. Branca's includes 27 botanicals sourced from four different continents, resulting in a fernet that's extremely minty and bold, even medicinal in flavor.
This drink is not good with that fernet.
Instead, this simple co*cktail from Gabe Cothes, the former lead bartender at San Francisco's now-closed Salt House, calls for R. Jelínek Czech-style fernet, a bottle I've spotted around town more and more frequently. The Jelínek "is worlds apart from Branca," says Cothes. "Branca has both a menthol and earthy quality, Jelínek does not. The Czech-style version is heavy on warm spice, especially cinnamon. It is softer on the palate." While Branca is a little aggressive, Cothes calls the Jelínek "comforting."
When it's stirred with rye and a little triple sec, and topped with a twisted orange peel, the rich cinnamon and baking-spice flavors of the fernet make for a silky, coherent, well-integrated drink that latches into the rye's spice and brings a flavor of black tea forward. The little bit of orange fragrance comes through, too; if you like the bergamot notes of Earl Grey tea, and if you likeOld Fashioneds, this concoction is perfect for you. It helps that it's super simple to make: Just sweeten an ounce and a half of whiskey with a quarter ounce each of triple sec (Cothes calls for Combier; Cointreau works, too) and fernet; stir it on ice; and strain it onto new, big ice in a fancy glass, if you like a proper presentation.
Cothes adds a cinnamon stick to further boost the drink's cozy aromas. He calls his co*cktail "Old Timber," saying that "the garnish looked like old wood that had fallen into the water." It's the kind of thing you want to sip after an evening walk on the first day you've noticed the weather cooling.
But I'll be drinking it deep into winter, especially since I've discovered that Jelínek isn't the only fernet that's great in this drink. Made withFernet Leopold—a Denver-produced version that's flavored with black pepper, blackstrap molasses, dandelion root, sarsaparilla, and three different types of mint—the co*cktail is drier and brighter, spicy and boozy but remarkably crisp and refreshing, too, with a piney side that's perfect for whetting your appetite before a big meal. It's not the cinnamon-y drink Gabe Cothes designed, but it's going to be a regular in my rotation from now on.
I also love it with smooth, herbalFernet Francisco, which is flavored with rhubarb, gentian, cardamom, bay leaves, and chamomile, and has so little sugar it can't officially be categorized as a liqueur. The dry fernet lets the whiskey's spicy side and the orange liqueur's soft, aromatic character shine, adding a bitter, earthy edge that fits the co*cktail's woodsy name.
It may not quite be the season for lighting the fireplace, but when that day comes, I'll be ready.
September 2016
Recipe Details
Old Timber (Rye co*cktail With Fernet) Recipe
Active2 mins
Total2 mins
Serves1 serving
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces (45ml) rye whiskey (such as Bulleit)
1/4 ounce (7ml) Jelínek Czech-style fernet, Fernet Leopold, or Fernet Francisco (see notes)
1/4 ounce (7ml) triple sec, such as Combier or Cointreau
Cinnamon stick and orange twist, for garnish
Directions
Add rye, fernet, and triple sec to a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir until well chilled, about 30 seconds. Add a large ice cube to a rocks glass and strain co*cktail into glass. Garnish with cinnamon stick, express orange oils onto drink, and add twist to glass.
Special Equipment
Mixing glass and co*cktail strainer
Notes
Be careful with your fernet: This drink comes out medicinal and menthol-heavy when made with the popular Fernet-Branca. Instead, use cinnamon-y Jelínek Czech-style fernet, minty Fernet Leopold, or super-dry Fernet Francisco.
If you're still easing into the realm of fernet, this drink is a great gateway. Instructions: In a co*cktail shaker with ice, combine one ounce of Fernet-Branca, one ounce of añejo tequila, and half an ounce of freshly squeezed lime juice. Shake it up and strain into a tall glass with fresh ice.
While fernet can be consumed straight or over ice, it is most palatable in a co*cktail–especially for the uninitiated. Often described as an acquired taste, fernet has a strongly bitter flavor punctuated by mellower notes of caramel, mint, coffee, and burnt citrus.
Traditionally, people serve Fernet chilled or at room temperature. Experiment with different serving temperatures to find your preferred way of enjoying this bitter elixir. Some prefer it over ice, while others enjoy it neat or with a splash of soda water.
Fernet (Italian pronunciation: [ferˈnɛt]) is an Italian type of amaro, a bitter, aromatic spirit. Fernet is made from a number of herbs and spices which vary according to the brand, but usually include myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom, aloe, and especially saffron, with a base of distilled grape spirits.
We start with the only truly well-known Fernet Branca recipe: the Hanky Panky. The ingredients that are here to tame the fernet? Gin and sweet vermouth.
[Bartenders] like it because it steps up the palate, it's a more grown up drink,” explains Edoardo. “It's bitter, there is almost no sugar. It is for people who have been drinking for a while and it is for this reason that bartenders drink it.”
Famously known as a drink consumed to fend off food comas and digestive issues, fernet is often offered these days after heavy meals to prevent fatigue, soothe indigestion, and cure hangovers.
Like other syrupy and high ABV liqueurs, a bottle of fernet will keep for around 6 months or even longer after opening because the high alcohol content prevents spoiling. This is why you'll often find bottles of mysterious and widely unknown spirits hanging around on bar counters, seemingly unused.
Most of the time it's enjoyed as a shot, but it can also be mixed into coffee and espresso or used as an ingredient in a co*cktail. Campbell says Italians drink fernet “neat, throughout the day and after a meal.” But bar consultant Cari Hah finds drinking “it straight up is challenging for people new to it.
Fernet was most likely created to counteract the effects of Cholera and Malaria, but went on to be used for everything from a laxative to hangover cure.
co*ke. This is probably the most common and obvious combination, especially if you've spent time in South America. Extremely popular in Argentina—where fernet fanaticism rivals that of America and Italy, the spirit's ancestral home—this Highball is one of the best ways to drink fernet.
In fact, what came to be known as Fernet-Branca has become so synonymous with Fernet as a liquor category that "Fernet-Branca" is often misunderstood to be the name of the liquor type, while in reality "Fernet" serves as a moniker to signify a style of drink, and "Branca" is actually this liquor's brand name.
Fernet con coca (Spanish: [feɾˈne(ð) koŋ ˈkoka], "Fernet and co*ke"), also known as fernando, its diminutive fernandito ( Spanish: [feɾnanˈdito]), or several other nicknames, is a long drink of Argentine origin consisting of the Italian amaro liqueur fernet and cola, served over ice.
While they share some similarities due to the presence of herbs and spices, they taste different from each other. Jagermeister is sweeter and has a more syrup-like consistency. Fernet is much more bitter than Jagermeister with a higher alcohol content as well.
Like a Mimosa for people who like their brunch co*cktails on the herbal side, this unexpected mixer works incredibly well with the bitter Italian spirit. Make sure to balance it out with an Italian prosecco—or even a white or red Lambrusco—that errs on the sweeter side.
Typically containing 39% to 45% alcohol by volume (abv), fernet can be enjoyed at room temperature or with ice. Most of the time it's enjoyed as a shot, but it can also be mixed into coffee and espresso or used as an ingredient in a co*cktail.
Fernet's origins can be traced back to the mid-1800s in Milan, where it was initially enjoyed for its digestive and anti-choleric benefits. Fernet's medicinal characteristics were believed to be so effective that it was prescribed at hospitals and pharmacies in Milan until the 1930s.
The resulting shot or co*cktail will be relatively high-octane: Fernet-Branca has an ABV of 39%, nearly that of a typical spirit, while Campari has an ABV of 24%. Whichever way you drink it, you just might find a new favorite handshake.
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:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2016__09__20160901-old-timber-co*cktail-vicky-wasik-3-7ef1c9d43c374f3da2c6373b8604d961.jpg "Old Timber (Rye co*cktail With Fernet) Recipe (1)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2016__09__20160901-old-timber-co*cktail-vicky-wasik-1-080664a718ff49dabed777cb86861333.jpg "Old Timber (Rye co*cktail With Fernet) Recipe (2)")
