Fernet

Fernet is an Italian amaro, a bitter aromatic spirit made by distilling grape spirits with a blend of herbs and spices that commonly includes myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom, aloe and saffron, the exact recipe varying by producer. It is traditionally drunk as a digestif after a meal, often alongside or mixed with coffee or espresso, served at room temperature or chilled. The leading brand, Fernet-Branca, was developed in 1845 and built a devoted following among bartenders worldwide. Argentina is by far its largest market, buying more than 75 percent of all fernet produced, where fernet mixed with cola, known as fernet con coca, became hugely popular after television advertising in the mid 1980s and is now widely described as an unofficial national drink there, with Cordoba province alone accounting for nearly 30 percent of Argentine consumption.