The best cigar drink you've never heard of...

11-11-2009, 09:18 PM

Taken from my blog, I thought it pertinent to post here as many have never heard of this drink:

It's called Fernet con Coca.

You really don’t know what you’re missing. Neither did I, until a recent trip to Argentina opened my eyes to what has to be one of the best marriages of drink and smoke ever. Late one night in a smokey club in Neuquen, a city in the south-west region (Patagonia, some call it), my brother in law orders us two drinks. Fernet con Coca. “Dos, por favor.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“It’s the drink.” He replies utilizing 80% of his english vocabulary in one sentence. And he’s right, in a way. It is the drink. In Argentina, it is the national alcoholic beverage of choice. It is made with two simple ingredients: A shot of Fernet-Branca – an italian herbal digestif seriously high in alcohol content – and Coca-Cola. You start with a tall collins glass, fill to the brim with large ice cubes. Fill 1/10th with Fernet and the rest with Coke. The combination, for some reason unknown to me, creates a much thicker head of fizz than usual. Fernetis a type of amaro, a bitter, aromatic spirit. It is made from a number of different herbs and spices including myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom, aloe, and saffron, with a base of grape distilled spirits.

The taste the Fernet imparts to the Coke is uncannily smokey. You can taste wood, especially cedar, along with tea leaves and dry earth. This is delicately framed by the sweetness of the Coke to create, in my opinion, a great addition to a smoke. Because the flavors of the Fernet are very broad, they don’t distract from the flavors of the cigar. In fact, they almost force your palate to get into the “zone” where you start to taste those nuances you read about in Cigar Aficionado. Abbiritions of orange peel, currant, wheat, honey; things many of the smokers I know say they have yet to taste, begin to appear on your tongue as bright and clear as day.

Of course, when I got back to the states, the first thing I went looking for was Fernet-Branca. Can it be found easily? Hell, yes. In fact the very first liquor store I visited had it. It is also easy to find at online retailers. The going price is around $24, which is fine considering you only need to use very little at a time.

11-11-2009, 09:18 PM	#1
covetry Guest Posts: n/a	The best cigar drink you've never heard of... Taken from my blog, I thought it pertinent to post here as many have never heard of this drink: It's called Fernet con Coca. You really don’t know what you’re missing. Neither did I, until a recent trip to Argentina opened my eyes to what has to be one of the best marriages of drink and smoke ever. Late one night in a smokey club in Neuquen, a city in the south-west region (Patagonia, some call it), my brother in law orders us two drinks. Fernet con Coca. “Dos, por favor.” “What is it?” I asked. “It’s the drink.” He replies utilizing 80% of his english vocabulary in one sentence. And he’s right, in a way. It is the drink. In Argentina, it is the national alcoholic beverage of choice. It is made with two simple ingredients: A shot of Fernet-Branca – an italian herbal digestif seriously high in alcohol content – and Coca-Cola. You start with a tall collins glass, fill to the brim with large ice cubes. Fill 1/10th with Fernet and the rest with Coke. The combination, for some reason unknown to me, creates a much thicker head of fizz than usual. Fernetis a type of amaro, a bitter, aromatic spirit. It is made from a number of different herbs and spices including myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom, aloe, and saffron, with a base of grape distilled spirits. The taste the Fernet imparts to the Coke is uncannily smokey. You can taste wood, especially cedar, along with tea leaves and dry earth. This is delicately framed by the sweetness of the Coke to create, in my opinion, a great addition to a smoke. Because the flavors of the Fernet are very broad, they don’t distract from the flavors of the cigar. In fact, they almost force your palate to get into the “zone” where you start to taste those nuances you read about in Cigar Aficionado. Abbiritions of orange peel, currant, wheat, honey; things many of the smokers I know say they have yet to taste, begin to appear on your tongue as bright and clear as day. Of course, when I got back to the states, the first thing I went looking for was Fernet-Branca. Can it be found easily? Hell, yes. In fact the very first liquor store I visited had it. It is also easy to find at online retailers. The going price is around $24, which is fine considering you only need to use very little at a time.