''Fernet con coca'' ( or , "Fernet and Coke"), also known as fernando,
its
diminutive fernandito (),
or several other nicknames, is a
long drink
A long drink or tall drink is an alcoholic mixed drink with a relatively large volume (> 12 cl, frequently 16–40 cl or between 5–9 fluid ounces). In Finland, a ‘long drink’ specifically contains gin plus a mixer, almost always a fruit sod ...
of
Argentine origin consisting of the Italian ''
amaro'' liqueur
fernet
Fernet () 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 ...
and
cola
Cola is a carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was imi ...
, served over ice. Although typically made with
Fernet-Branca
Fernet-Branca () is an Italian brand of fernet, a style of '' amaro'' or bitters. It was formulated in Milan in 1845, and is manufactured there by Fratelli Branca Distillerie.
History
Fernet-Branca was formulated in Milan in 1845 by a self-ta ...
and
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlant ...
, several ''amaro'' brands have appeared in Argentina since its popularization, as well as
ready-to-drink
Ready to drink (often known as RTD) packaged beverages are those sold in a prepared form, ready for consumption. Examples include iced tea (prepared using tea leaves and fruit juice) and alcopops (prepared by mixing alcoholic beverages with frui ...
versions.
The
cocktail first became popular among the youth of the
college town of
Córdoba, in the 1980s and—impulsed by an advertising campaign led by
Fratelli Branca—its consumption grew in popularity during the following decades to become widespread throughout the country, surpassed only by that of beer and wine. It is now considered a
cultural icon
A cultural icon is a person or an artifact that is identified by members of a culture as representative of that culture. The process of identification is subjective, and "icons" are judged by the extent to which they can be seen as an authentic ...
of Argentina and is especially associated with its home province of
Córdoba, where the drink is most consumed. The popularity of ''fernet con coca'' is such that Argentina consumes more than 75% of all fernet produced globally. The cocktail can also be found in some of its bordering countries, like
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
.
In 2020, ''fernet con coca'' became the first Argentine drink to be recognized as an
IBA official cocktail
The IBA official cocktails are the cocktails selected by the International Bartenders Association (IBA) for use in the annual World Cocktail Competition (WCC) in bartending.
List of cocktails
IBA official cocktails are divided into three categ ...
, listed under the name "fernandito" in the "new era drinks" category.
History
Fernet
Fernet () 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 ...
was introduced to Argentina by Italians during the
great European immigration wave to the country of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period in
Argentine history
The history of Argentina can be divided into four main parts: the pre-Columbian time or early history (up to the sixteenth century), the colonial period (1536–1809), the period of nation-building (1810–1880), and the history of modern Argenti ...
characterized by vast economic growth and rapid social change.
The popularity of fernet in Argentina is representative of the lasting influence
Italian immigrants
, image = Map of the Italian Diaspora in the World.svg
, image_caption = Map of the Italian diaspora in the world
, population = worldwide
, popplace = Brazil, Argentina, United States, France, Colombia, Canada, P ...
had in the broader consumer tastes and culture of the country. Over many years, fernet consumption expanded in an unprecedented way throughout the Argentine territory, although this process is still "confusing and poorly documented".
In 1941,
Fratelli Branca opened its first and only production plant outside Italy in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of
Parque Patricios,
which indicates that already at that time the fernet market in Argentina was considerable.
Another underground plant was opened in 1982 in
Tortuguitas
Tortuguitas is a city in Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina, located northwest of Buenos Aires. The city is located in Malvinas Argentinas Partido (county), and its population was 41,390 inhabitants as of the 2001 Census.
Part of a vast estancia ...
, Buenos Aires Province. Before the combination with cola became widely popular in the 1990s and 2000s, fernet was traditionally consumed in the country as an
apéritif and digestif
Apéritifs (; ) and digestifs () are drinks, typically alcoholic, that are normally served before (''apéritif'') or after (''digestif'') a meal.
Apéritif
An apéritif is an alcoholic beverage usually served before a meal to stimulate the appe ...
, and was either drunk as an after-dinner
shot
Shot may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Shot'' (album), by The Jesus Lizard
*''Shot, Illusion, New God'', an EP by Gruntruck
*'' Shot Rev 2.0'', a video album by The Sisters of Mercy
* "Shot" (song), by The Rasmus
* ''Shot'' (2017 f ...
, mixed with
soda water
Carbonated water (also known as soda water, sparkling water, fizzy water, club soda, water with gas, in many places as mineral water, or especially in the United States as seltzer or seltzer water) is water containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas, ...
or as part of a ''
carajillo
A ''carajillo'' () is a hot coffee drink to which a hard liquor is added. It is typical of Spain and several Latin American countries, such as Colombia, where it is usually made with brandy, Cuba, where it is usually made with rum, and some areas ...
de fernet'', in which some dashes of the bitter are added to a cup of coffee.
![Publicidad de Fernet Branca de 1920](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Publicidad_de_Fernet_Branca_de_1920.jpg)
Although the exact origin of the cocktail is poorly-documented and "somewhat shrouded in mythmaking",
it is generally agreed that it originated in
Córdoba Province,
and is heavily associated with its
capital of the same name, Argentina's
second most populous city.
Some sources say that the cocktail already existed in the 1950s, as a "gentler" variation of the common combination of fernet and soda water,
while others affirm that it was invented in the 1970s by Oscar "el Negro" Becerra, a drummer and bartender from
Cruz del Eje, a city in the province's northwest.
Another version suggests the drink was invented in Argentina's northern provinces.
''Fernet con coca'' began to grow in popularity in Córdoba city during the 1980s, in the period that followed Argentina's
return to democracy.
Although "theories swirl about who sparked fernet's explosion", most point to the city's large population of university students.
By the end of the decade,
Fratelli Branca's marketing director noticed the drink's growing popularity in Córdoba and launched a series of national advertising campaigns actively encouraging the combination with
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlant ...
,
at first in an "implicit" agreement with
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation founded in 1892, best known as the producer of Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Company also manufactures, sells, and markets other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrup ...
and, between 1994 and 1997, as an official
co-branding
Co-branding is a marketing strategy that involves strategic alliance of multiple brand names jointly used on a single product or service.
Co-branding is an arrangement that associates a single product or service with more than one brand name, ...
campaign.
Fratelli Branca head of marketing since 1992 Hernán Mutti told ''
Fortune'' in 2016: "We had to convince Argentina that this was the way to drink fernet: to be shared between friends. It was being drunk behind closed doors; it wasn't a friendly product."
The company then "did everything to get people to try fernet and cola on any occasion",
promoting the drink with samplings at bars and events and in popular
seaside towns along the coastline of the Atlantic,
targeting people under the age of 25.
The tastings were accompanied by advertising connecting Fernet-Branca to distinctive national landscapes, like Patagonia's
Perito Moreno glacier
The Perito Moreno Glacier () is a glacier located in Los Glaciares National Park in southwest Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in the Argentine Patagonia.
The ice formation, in length, is one ...
.
The campaign is considered one of the most successful marketing strategies in the country's recent history,
as it managed to "capture a still incipient consumption in a specific place in the country to popularize it and impose it in the daily life of Argentines."
In addition to the effective advertising campaign, the popularity of the drink has been linked to other coinciding phenomena: the diversification of the Argentine market for alcoholic beverages and the modernization of ''
cuarteto
Cuarteto ( es, quartet), sometimes called cuartetazo, is a musical genre born in Córdoba, Argentina.
The roots of the cuarteto ensemble are in Italian and Spanish dance ensembles. The name was coined because the early dance-hall numbers were ...
'', a style of popular music from Córdoba that expanded to Buenos Aires during the 1980s and 1990s,
spearheaded by singer
Rodrigo
Rodrigo is a Spanish, Portuguese and Italian name derived from the Germanic name '' Roderick'' (Gothic ''*Hroþareiks'', via Latinized ''Rodericus'' or ''Rudericus''), given specifically in reference to either King Roderic (d. 712), the last Vi ...
's success. Furthermore, between 1990 and 2010 the habits of Argentines were transformed as a result of a tumultuous political and economic life, with
BBC Mundo
BBC Mundo (Spanish for ''BBC World'') is part of the BBC World Service's foreign language output, one of 40 languages it provides.
History
BBC Mundo is the BBC's service for the Spanish-speaking world. It is part of BBC World Service. The w ...
's Daniel Pardo writing: "First came the splurge, opulence, and cheap dollar of
Carlos Menem's presidency, then a terrible
economic crisis in 2001 that triggered poverty, and then three left-wing governments that, in the midst of an export boom, enriched (or subsidized) the poor."
Branca brand ambassador Nicola Olianas told ''
the Spirits Business
''The Spirits Business'' is a British magazine aimed at distillers, distillery proprietors and other spirits industry professionals that concentrates on the fine spirits end of the beverage industry.
History and profile
''The Spirits Business' ...
'' in 2017 that he "has obviously contemplated how to replicate the success in other markets, but wonders whether the conditions in Argentina were somehow unique, with the long-established distillery and the millions of emigré Italians."
By the year 2000, consumption had already consolidated in cities such as
Tucumán,
Mendoza and Buenos Aires,
and continued to grow despite the economic crisis of 2001.
On the contrary, since 2002 fernet's production and marketing underwent intense transformations, establishing itself as "one of the most striking phenomena in the entire region", making way for women and young people as new consumers and cementing its popularity at bars, parties, ''
asado''s and gatherings.
In Buenos Aires alone, the drink's sales grew by 115% between 2001 and 2008.
By 2012, 40 million liters of fernet were produced per year, twice as much as in 2007.
According to a 2011 governmental report, fernet consumption in Argentina grew 251% during the 2000s, far ahead of beer's 60%.
Another study reported that during the period of
Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Carlos Kirchner (; 25 February 195027 October 2010) was an Argentine lawyer and politician who served as the President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007, Governor of Santa Cruz Province from 1991 to 2003, Secretary General of UNASUR and ...
and
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (; born 19 February 1953), often referred to by her initials CFK, is an Argentine lawyer and politician who has served as the Vice President of Argentina since 2019. She also served as the President o ...
's presidencies—between 2004 and 2015—fernet consumption increased 405%, noting that "the
kirchnerist
Kirchnerism ( es, Kirchnerismo ) is an Argentine political movement based on populist ideals formed by the supporters of Néstor Kirchner and his wife Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who consecutively served as Presidents of Argentina. Althoug ...
decade could also be called 'the fernet decade'."
Fernet production in Argentina has been falling consistently since 2015, as part of a widespread economic downturn that began during
Mauricio Macri
Mauricio Macri (; born 8 February 1959) is an Argentine businessman and politician who served as the President of Argentina from 2015 to 2019. He has been the leader of the Republican Proposal (PRO) party since its founding in 2005. He previo ...
's
presidency
A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified b ...
.
Between 2015 and 2019, the Argentine production of fernet and bitters fell from 56.4 to 44.3 million annual liters.
Preparation
![Fernet+Coke](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Fernet%2BCoke.jpg)
''Fernet con coca'' is a
long drink
A long drink or tall drink is an alcoholic mixed drink with a relatively large volume (> 12 cl, frequently 16–40 cl or between 5–9 fluid ounces). In Finland, a ‘long drink’ specifically contains gin plus a mixer, almost always a fruit sod ...
,
usually served in a tall
tumbler such as the
highball
A highball is a mixed alcoholic drink composed of an alcoholic base spirit and a larger proportion of a non-alcoholic mixer, often a carbonated beverage. Examples include the Seven and Seven, Scotch and soda, gin and tonic, screwdriver (a.k.a ...
. Simple in composition, the two-ingredient cocktail comprises just its eponymous ingredients and ice.
The result is a black concoction with a "velvety", gold-tinted foam, and a complex and bittersweet taste that features competing and complementary flavors.
The exact proportions of each ingredient are debated, and people prepare the cocktail according to personal taste.
A popular measurement is three parts fernet and seven parts cola.
An early Cordoban version of the drink called "90210"—a possible reference to the
1990s TV drama—
calls for nine-tenths of fernet, two ice cubes and one tenth of cola.
The
International Bartenders Association
The International Bartenders Association (IBA), founded on 24 February 1951 in the saloon of the Grand Hotel in Torquay, England, is an international organisation established in order to represent the best bartenders in the world.
An annual e ...
recipe—first published in 2020—
calls for 50 millilitres Fernet-Branca poured into a double
old fashioned glass
The old fashioned glass, otherwise known as the rocks glass and lowball glass (or simply lowball), is a short tumbler used for serving spirits, such as whisky, neat or with ice cubes ("on the rocks"). It is also normally used to serve certain ...
with ice, filled up with cola.
Fernet-Branca and Coca-Cola are by far the preferred brands and market leaders, although several other local bitters have emerged since the drink's popularization, which include "premium" and cheaper versions,
as well as "artisan-made" fernets, and
ready-to-drink
Ready to drink (often known as RTD) packaged beverages are those sold in a prepared form, ready for consumption. Examples include iced tea (prepared using tea leaves and fruit juice) and alcopops (prepared by mixing alcoholic beverages with frui ...
versions of the cocktail. Over the years, fernet products in Argentina have been "lightened" in relation to the traditional ''amaros'' of Italy, as they are now intended for consumption with cola—reducing their bitterness, alcohol content and "
syrup
In cooking, a syrup (less commonly sirup; from ar, شراب; , beverage, wine and la, sirupus) is a condiment that is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars ...
y texture".
''
La Voz
Media United States
* '' La Voz Hispana de Virginia'', a magazine
* ''La Voz de Houston'', a newspaper
* ''La Voz'' (Phoenix), a newspaper
* ''La Voz'', a publication in New York's Hudson Valley owned by Bard College
Other media
* ''La Vo ...
'' explained a typical preparation of ''fernet con coca'': "It carries two or three ice cubes and a variable measure of fernet and cola. It is recommended to serve it with an inclination of 45 degrees and in a long glass so that the soda does not lose gas. The foam should expand to overflow the glass and then contract and stay within the circumference of the glass. On the contrary, if it drips between the sides, the soda was served too quickly and the drink will lose its character, its perfect condition."
Some people dump an extra measure of fernet just as the foam is about to leak out of the glass, so that it lowers and does not spill,
a practice known as "''coronado''" (meaning "crowned"). Walkers commonly make a "''viajero''" (meaning "traveller" in Spanish),
using half-cut plastic bottles of Coca-Cola as containers for communal drinking and to carry the cocktail.
Popularity
Despite being a relatively modern phenomenon, ''fernet con coca'' has managed to cement itself culturally,
and is now regarded as a
national symbol
A national symbol is a symbol of any entity considering and manifesting itself to the world as a national community: the sovereign states but also nations and countries in a state of colonial or other dependence, federal integration, or even an e ...
and
cultural icon
A cultural icon is a person or an artifact that is identified by members of a culture as representative of that culture. The process of identification is subjective, and "icons" are judged by the extent to which they can be seen as an authentic ...
of Argentina,
as well as the country's "unofficial
national drink".
It is mostly consumed in Argentina, but the cocktail can also be found in some of its neighboring countries, such as Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia.
Despite its popularity, many Argentines consider ''fernet con coca'' to be an
acquired taste
An acquired taste is an appreciation for something unlikely to be enjoyed by a person who has not had substantial exposure to it. It is the opposite of innate taste, which is the appreciation for things that are enjoyable by most persons without ...
, and its flavor often repulses foreigners.
Some relate the success of the cocktail in the country to a general fondness for the
bitter taste
The gustatory system or sense of taste is the sensory system that is partially responsible for the perception of taste (flavor). Taste is the perception produced or stimulated when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with taste receptor ...
in
Argentine culture
The culture of Argentina is as varied as the country's geography and is composed of a mix of ethnic groups. Modern Argentinian culture has been influenced largely by Italian, Spanish, and other European immigration, while there is still a less ...
, exemplified by the widespread consumption of
mate and non-alcoholic bitters like Terma.
Fernet's popularity extends beyond differences in age, sex or social class,
and currently is the third most popular alcoholic beverage in the country, behind wine and beer.
The popularity of the cocktail has made Argentina the consumer of 75% of all fernet produced globally, as well as one of the world's highest Coca-Cola consumers, drinking about four times the global average.
With its long history in the country, the Fernet-Branca brand has achieved a "
cultlike" and "almost mythical" status among Argentines.
It is by far the most popular fernet brand sold in Argentina, having 79% of the
market share, followed by Vittone with 11%, Capri with 7% and 1882 (known as "''milocho''") with 3%.
According to Branca, only 5% of fernet sold in Argentina is drunk on its own, and the rest is used for mixing, largely with cola.
''Fernet con coca'' has been used as a novelty flavoring in
ice cream
Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as ...
, and
alfajor
An ''alfajor'' or ''alajú'' (, plural ''alfajores'') is a traditional confection typically made of flour, honey, and nuts. It is found in Argentina, Peru, Chile, the Philippines, Southern Brazil, Southern France, Spain, and Uruguay. The arche ...
es, a local confection. Some companies sell canned "''fernet con coca'' foam" that can be used as a dessert topping or filling.
Three-quarters of the ''amaro''s sales are concentrated in "the Interior" provinces,
that is, the portion of the Argentine territory that is not part of the
Buenos Aires metropolitan area. Fernet consumption per capita increases between 15% and 18% in the
Northwest, which includes the provinces of
Jujuy
San Salvador de Jujuy (), commonly known as Jujuy and locally often referred to as San Salvador, is the capital and largest city of Jujuy Province in northwest Argentina. Also, it is the seat of the Doctor Manuel Belgrano Department. It lies near ...
,
Salta
Salta () is the capital and largest city in the Argentine province of the same name. With a population of 618,375 according to the 2010 census, it is also the 7th most-populous city in Argentina. The city serves as the cultural and economic ce ...
,
Tucumán,
Catamarca,
La Rioja
La Rioja () is an autonomous community and province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, an ...
and
Santiago del Estero, as the region has a greater historical tradition of
herbal liqueur
A herbal is a book containing the names and descriptions of plants, usually with information on their medicinal, tonic, culinary, toxic, hallucinatory, aromatic, or magical powers, and the legends associated with them.Arber, p. 14. A herbal m ...
drinking.
However, the epicenter of ''fernet con coca'' drinking in the country is its home province of Córdoba, which represented almost 30% of national consumption—about three million liters of fernet a year—in 2013.
The drink is considered an "emblem" of the province,
and a fundamental part of its distinct
cultural identity and heritage.
Córdoba prides itself on setting its own cultural trends, and ''fernet con coca'' has become one of its biggest icons along with
rally racing and ''
cuarteto
Cuarteto ( es, quartet), sometimes called cuartetazo, is a musical genre born in Córdoba, Argentina.
The roots of the cuarteto ensemble are in Italian and Spanish dance ensembles. The name was coined because the early dance-hall numbers were ...
'' music.
The popularity of fernet among Cordobans has been linked to the local custom of consuming
herbal medicines such as
burro
The domestic donkey is a hoofed mammal in the family Equidae, the same family as the horse. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a ...
,
boldo
''Peumus boldus'', the only species in the genus ''Peumus'', is commonly known as boldo (from the Mapuche name ''foḻo''). This tree of the family Monimiaceae is natively endemic to the central region of Chile, occurring from 33° to 40° sou ...
and
peperina
''Minthostachys verticillata'', commonly known as peperina, is the only species of the genus ''Minthostachys'' known from Argentina. It occurs in the northwestern and central regions of the country. It may be the most economically important spe ...
.
Writing for ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' in 2015, Jonathan Gilbert felt that the preference for fernet in Córdoba "demonstrates the extent to which
ts inhabitantsrevolt against the prevailing cultural and political trends in Buenos Aires, whose inhabitants are called ''
porteños''".
In popular culture
Several recording artists, especially from Córdoba, have made reference to the cocktail in their works. In the 1990s, rock band
Vilma Palma e Vampiros from
Rosario released a song named after the cocktail, which featured the lyrics: "I do not want to end up in a cell without my ''fernet con coca''".
Fito Páez
Rodolfo Páez Ávalos, popularly known as Fito Páez (; born 13 March 1963), is an Argentine popular rock and roll pianist, lyricist, singer-songwriter and film director.
Biography
Early career
Paez was born in Rosario, Santa Fe Province; hi ...
names the drink in his song "Las cosas que me hacen bien", off his 2020 album ''La conquista del espacio''.
See also
*
Argentine cuisine
*
Italian diaspora
*
List of cocktails
*
List of national liquors
*
South American cuisine
South American cuisine has many influences, due to the ethnic fusion of South America. The most characteristic are Native American, African, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Indian-South Asian. However, there is a mix of European, North Ameri ...
Notes
References
External links
* , official website
* , official English website
* , official Argentine website
{{IBACocktails
Argentine alcoholic drinks
Cocktails with cola
Cocktails with bitters
Córdoba Province, Argentina
Two-ingredient cocktails