Fernet y Coca con Limon
Let me first say that I discovered this devilishly simple recipe back in 2018 when I came across an outstanding article in VinePair called Argentina’s Beloved, Two-Ingredient Cocktail Transcends Age, Class, and Economic Turmoil by Tim McKirdy. Unlike my own silly ramblings, this is a real honest-to-goodness post that gets you right from the get-go with his wonderfully titillating headline— it is a thorough must-read for sure into the history & underpinnings of this unusual, but absolutely addictive cocktail.
The drink starts with Fernet-Branca (invented in 1854), a brand of Italian bitter spirit category called an amaro. Michael J. Neff of From Behind the Bar perfectly describes Fernet-Branca as follows, “Fernet is at once bitter, sweet, herbacious and spicy. It's an unappealing dark brown color, with a hint of green when held up to the light. The aroma is an aggressive melange of spices.”
Secondly, we have Coca-Cola (invented in 1885) with its notes of vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, lemon & cocaine! OK, just wanted to see if you were paying attention. While it’s indeed true that the original formula had trace amounts of coca leaf extract, it was taken out in the late 1920s. While the flavor profile of Coca-Cola certainly has a varied list of spices & essential oils, it has a Ned Flanders level of richness compared to the Fernet— and with 39g of high fructose corn syrup sugar in your average American 12oz. Coke, it tends to be quite sweet as we all know being arguably the world’s single most ubiquitous brand. Even through I personally love an ice cold Coke, I don’t drink it that often, but when I do, it’s ALWAYS a glass-bottled Coca-Cola hecho en México (commonly called a Mexican Coke). It is one of the only readily available Cokes in the states still made with non-GMO cane sugar. This closer to “original formula” seems to have a crisper mouth-feel on the tongue and allows the subtle flavors of the recipe to come through.
Lastly, and I’m pretty sure I’m bastardizing the traditional Fernet y Coca, is to squeeze in a big ol’ wedge of fresh lemon. I love how the acidity of the lemon wedge cuts and balances the sugar in the Coke. The brightness of the lemon also seems to temper the aggressive spices of the Fernet. The total balance of these 3 simple ingredients is at first taste possibly too much for the palette to handle, but quickly after a few sips becomes as addicting as the cocaine no longer in your Coca-Cola.
Fernet y Coca con Limon Recipe
Heinsefolg Recipe (more sweet)
1 Part Fernet-Branca (3oz.)
2 Parts Mexican Coke or Maine Root brand Mexicane Cola (6oz.)
1 Lemon Wedge (squeezed & dropped in)
Served on Ice
Argentine Recipe (more bitter)
1 Part Fernet-Branca
1 Part Coca-Cola
Served on Ice
