Branca Menta, 70 cl

Product Information

There are countless herbal liqueurs and Amaros on the shelves of our supermarket. But I will list only the very best alternatives for Fernet Branca. On the inhale, you mostly get strong, cooling mint oil, laced with a whiff of medicinal herbs. It’s actually pretty subtle, giving you only a preview of what’s about to come. Taste

The short answer is: yes. Branca Menta is easier to approach than Fernet, with a strong presence of mint, a sweeter profile, and lower ABV. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t the complex and bitter experience Distillerie Branca has made famous. It just means that you’re going to drink this one a little differently. Appearance Usually, Branca Menta, like Fernet, is taken on its own as a digestif. It might be chilled or served over ice, but in any case, the sweeter, softer Menta lends itself better to sipping than shot-slamming. No chaser needed. Ultimately, that doesn’t leave us with a whole lot of variety, does it? With something like 40 herbs and spices crammed into that minty little bottle, it seems like Branca Menta’s potential for mixing should reach much further. And it does. Tasting Notes Zanoni, Elizabeth (21 March 2018). Migrant Marketplaces: Food and Italians in North and South America. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-05032-9. Fernet is associated with going out and having a good time,” Argentine software engineer Agustín Gambina says. “And it’s a great alternative for those that don’t like to drink beer or wine.”Perhaps equally bizarre is that Fratelli Branca remains family-run, under the fifth-generation Count Niccolò Branca di Romanico, whose two children also work in the business. There are regular unsolicited offers to buy the firm, but there is no interest in selling. Instead Fratelli Branca has been busy gobbling up other brands including Carpano, said to be the first ever vermouth. As for range extensions, there is just Branca Menta, conceived in the 1960s. It was inspired by Maria Callas who was spotted drinking Fernet-Branca with ice, sugar and mint before performing at La Scala – or so the story goes. But an amaro like Fernet Branca doesn’t have to be a “bravado shot”, and for most, starting your Fernet journey with Fernet Branca is a mistake. Fernet Branca Menta (also known as Branca Menta) was created in the 1960s, inspired by a famous opera singer Maria Callas. The singer was known to drink Fernet Branca along with a touch of mint syrup before each performance. This preparation of Fernet Branca wasn’t uncommon as it was known to be served as a frappe (over crushed ice) with mint syrup, especially in the summer. The Fratelli Branca Distillerie recognized the popularity of this preparation and so they created Fernet Branca with mint, a spirit based on Fernet Branca but with more mint, less alcohol, and more sugar. The initial Fernet with mint was colored green (the actual mint oil added was clear). Fernet with mint ultimately morphed into Fernet Menta when the colorings were dropped and then ultimately to Branca Menta.

In 2014, amidst inflation, such was its importance in Argentina that Fernet-Branca was even added to the nation’s precios cuidados price-freeze program. Other items on the list included bread, milk, and beef. THE CHANGING FACE OF FERNET If you’ve ever been challenged to a shot of Fernet Branca, you know how polarizing it can be: it seems you either love it or hate it. Really, it takes a few tries to acclimate to the experience (and it’s worth it), but is Branca Menta any different? The city had access to countless exotic herbs and spices from the west via Genoa, and from the east via Trieste and Venice. But starting life as a remedy is common for a number of aperitifs. The same goes for the 1880s nerve tonic Pemberton’s French Wine Coca, known as Coca-Cola today. However Fernet-Branca never contained the raw plant for cocaine and nor is it distilled from railroad tar and spinach as the New York Times journalist Toby Cecchini once suspected. Instead it is made from “a secret recipe of 27 ingredients, of which 13 are herbs and spices,” Olianas says. A few jagged edges may be smoothed down after a year’s ageing in big Slovenian oak vats, but it is still a wonder how on earth the drink seduced a generation that was raised on Coke and candy. Caro, Rebecca. "Argentinean Mixology: Fernet and Coke". From Argentina With Love . Retrieved 7 December 2016. Fernet and Coke is an honorary guest at each and every one of Argentina’s most important occasions. It is infaltable —a must— at any self-respecting asado, or barbecue, Jordan Macuka, a musician in Buenos Aires, says. Head to one of the city’s bars on any weeknight, and you’ll find locals enjoying a post-work fernet con coca. If one glass leads to four, and the night ends at a late-night tango show or in one of Buenos Aires’ bustling boliches (nightclubs), guess what they’ll be pouring?Fernet-Branca began life in an apothecary jar before becoming a long-time collaborator with cola – The Spirits Business traces the brand’s fascinating story.

Due to the popularity of Fernet con coca, as the Fernandito also is called, the brand sells vast amounts of its liqueur in Latin American countries. Novare serbando"Renew but Conserve is the family motto that has guided Fratelli Branca throughout its history. And it is not a short history at all. Founded by Bernardino Branca in 1845 in Milan, over 160 years ago, the businesshas always been controlled by the Branca family, who has worked through the years to make Fernet Branca one of the most famous bitter liqueurs in the world. Pour rum, Branca Menta and bitters over ice, then top up with ginger beer. Squeeze lime wedge over the top and drop in. Menta Float

from Punch (http://punchdrink.com)

My friend suggested putting Branca Menta into a milkshake, and he’s right—that’s a great idea. But I got to thinking about other possibilities with ice cream. You could pour Branca Menta over a scoop of gelato, affogato style. You could get clever with ice cream sandwiches. You could spike a root beer float. The result is somewhere between a Mule and a Dark and Stormy. It’s a bubbly, refreshing summer cooler with honey sweetness over a mellow ginger burn. Careful with these, they go down easily. You’ll be blasted at brunch before you can say Branca. To get a better overview, read the details of the best alternatives to Fernet Branca below. Each substitute has a short description and taste review to find the perfect replacement for your needs. One such bartender is Diego Diaz Varela, co-owner of the recently opened La Fernetería, in Buenos Aires’ uber-cool Palermo neighborhood. “At La Fernetería, we want to display not only Fernet-Branca, but also other national producers that make their drinks with their grandparents’ recipes,” Varela says.