Industry Sour, Borrowed Bread

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Title

INDUSTRY SOUR

AN INSIDERS COCKTAIL, FOR THOSE IN THE KNOW

BY CARL SKOVGAARD

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Story 1

Getting to know Fernet Branca, and the Industry Sour

There will always be things that we enjoy more than our friends do. This is the case for me, and my love of Fernet Branca (and most Amari for that matter). Fernet Branca is a very bracing spirit: bitter, herbal, and with a menthol minty finish. It’s clear why all folks don’t always enjoy it, I know I didn’t at first, but it’s got a serious cult following.

Story 2

I was first introduced to the spirit when a friend of mine told me about his summer theater job. He told me about going to the bar with his coworkers, and how at the end of the night, one of the higher ups would buy folks a round of shots. The only catch: your options were Fernet Branca, or Fernet Menta. Hearing him describe it, the options were: medicine, or medicine with toothpaste. Despite the options, underpaid theater workers who like to drink did not turn it down.

Sometime later I found myself at an empty bar making small talk with the bartender and I asked them about Fernet. They said that they had it behind the bar, but had never tried it themselves. To my surprise, they pulled the bottle out, put two shot glasses down, and poured us each a little taste. It was certainly similar to my friend's description, but not so unbearable. After the bartender put the bottle away and we continued talking, she mentioned that Fernet Branca was “an industry thing” and very popular among bartenders.

Story 3

Armed with this new experience and information I went out into the world and caused a bit of trouble. If I was out with a friend, and they proposed getting a round of shots, I would suggest that we get a round of Fernet Branca. Most of the folks that I hung out with at the time were young enough to have not come across Fernet quite yet so the intrigue of trying something new coupled with their ignorance of the flavor profile led to some funny faces to say the least. No one truly cursed me for this little joke, I’m sure because I was right there alongside them, and we could share in discussing the nature of the drink.

The funny part about trying something over and over, is you develop a fondness for it. This is what ended up happening to me with my little Fernet Branca gambit. The benefit of this newly acquired taste was that I was able to occasionally impress and endear myself to bartenders when I ordered a shot of Fernet - Who doesn’t want to be friends with their bartender (make sure you still tip well!).

Story 2

I continued to occasionally order Fernet Branca when I noticed it on the back bar, telling friends, “It tastes like medicine, and I love it.” One evening, I was at a friend’s rehearsal dinner (the same friend that initially told me about Fernet coincidentally), and I struck up a conversation with the bartender about the bottle of dark liquor on the limited back bar. I was surprised to see it in an otherwise sparsely populated bar intended to make simple drinks. He and I shared a round of Fernet, and he told me that he had a cocktail that he wanted me to try tomorrow when he had his full bar setup.

The next day, I found my new friend behind the bar and asked him about the cocktail he had mentioned the night before. He smiled, and whipped up a drink called The Industry Sour. He told me it was an even parts drink with Fernet Branca, Green Chartreuse, lime, and simple. The name comes from the fact that the drink is based off of a sour template, and features two of the cocktail industry’s favorite spirits.

Story 3

Both of these spirits are very formidable in their flavor profile, yet somehow it works beautifully. The herbal flavor profiles blend tempering the more challenging flavors, while maintaining their unique quality. The sweeter Chartreuse and the simple syrup, cuts the bitterness of the Fernet. Lime juice gives the cocktail a classic, refreshing, citrus zing that is familiar in most sours, and the Fernet Branca delivers a nice minty finish.

My relationship with Fernet Branca started as a somewhat sinister prank, I’m glad that I accidentally acquired a taste for it. It opened the door for me to a richer cocktail palette, particularly with The Industry Sour.

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

.75oz/45ml Fernet Branca
.75oz/45ml Green Chartreuse
.75oz/45ml Fresh Lime Juice
.75oz/45ml Simple Syrup
Ice

Equipment

Jigger
Cocktail shaker
Strainer
Chilled Martini or Coupe Glass

Procedure 1

Chill your glass.

Either put it in the freezer for 8-10mins before making your drink, or fill the glass with ice and top with water before you grab everything else you need.

Procedure 2

Balsamic Reduction

.75oz/45ml Fernet Branca
.75oz/45ml Green Chartreuse
.75oz/45ml Fresh Lime Juice
.75oz/45ml Simple Syrup
Ice

Add all ingredients to your cocktail shaker.

*Tip - Add the smallest amounts/cheapest ingredients first. In the event you mess up and need to start over you’ll feel better.

Add ice and shake vigorously (really really, you want to do this hard!) for 8-15 seconds.)

Strain into your chilled glass

Serve up with no garnish.

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