Fernet-Branca *Made in Argentina Version

My sommelier years in San Francisco strengthened my distaste for Fernet. (The city drinks ridiculous amounts of it, more than anywhere outside of Argentina.) But I've always admired the bitter beast from afar, with the cult followers it inspires and their frivolous late-night rallies. Most Fernet-Branca sold in the United States comes from the original Fratelli Branca Distillerie in Milan. Argentina is the exception, as it's the only country outside Italy that produces Fernet-Branca under the Branca name. Distilled in Buenos Aires, it’s produced primarily to satisfy the country’s extraordinary appetite, and it follows a different recipe, using local sugarcane spirit and local bittering agents. Still bottled at a whopping 39%, its profile is less aggressive. Less, “I’m chewing on dry bark and bristly herbs,” and more like, “This is deliciously bitter, but also soft and round.” I understand what all the fuss is about; this inky, pleasure-seeking anomaly. Well, kind of. ~Allegra Angelo