#71 A Fernet at R Bar

After our soup at Grubstake we were stuffed. Luckily the next item on the list was a drink - #71 A Fernet at R Bar. What is a Fernet, you may ask. We did too, about 5 minutes before we got there. 4 iPhones and 2 G1s between us, we managed to pull up the Wikipedia page on the fernet.

Fernet is a brand of amaro produced in Milan, Italy. It is a bitter, aromatic spirit made from over 40 herbs and spices, including myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom, aloe, and saffron, with a base of distilled spirits, and colored with caramel coloring. The drink, whose recipe is proprietary, was created as a medicine in Milan in 1845 by a young woman, Maria Scala. Scala's name became Maria Branca through marriage. The Fernet-Branca is still produced in Milan by the company Fratelli Branca, overseen by the Branca family, though the recipe of the Italian product differs slightly from that sold in America. Fernet-Branca is 45% alcohol by volume and is dark brown in color.

Fernet-Branca is usually served as a digestif after a meal but may also be served with coffee and espresso or mixed into coffee and espresso drinks. It may be served at room temperature or on the rocks (with ice). A mint-flavored version of Fernet-Branca, Brancamenta, is also available.

This article from SF Weekly gives some insight as to how the Italian liqueur became so very San Francisco.

We arrived at R Bar and situated ourselves at the bar and ordered 6 fernets. The bartender looked a little confused so we explained our adventure to him. He then told us all about the Fernet. Apparently R Bar is the largest purchaser of Fernet in North America

He recommended a ginger ale chaser and poured us 6 shots (plus one of tequila for himself).

The Fernet is also something I never would have ordered without the list. I actually kind of liked it. But the bitter aftertaste is really unpleasant. The bartender recommended a Fernet and Coke (apparently popular in Argentina) as a way to cut the bitter aftertaste. Bryan ordered one and while it helped the taste was still there. The Fernet is definitely an experience!