Name: Fernando
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 35 ml Bianco/blanco vermouth; 22.5 ml Fernet liqueur; 15 ml Galliano liqueur

Ingredients

1 ¹⁄₆ fl oz

Strucchi Bianco Vermouth

³⁄₄ fl oz

Fernet Branca liqueur

¹⁄₂ fl oz

Galliano L'Autentico liqueur

How to make

Glassware

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a NICK & NORA GLASS.

No garnish to prepare.

Method

STIR all ingredients with ice.

FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

Serve naked, without garnish.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Fernando contains 152 calories

Alcohol content:

1.2 standard drinks
22.5% alc./vol. (45.01° proof)
16.3 grams of pure alcohol

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Bianco/blanc/blanco vermouth — Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites

History

I came across this cocktail in 2010 at Employees Only in New York City, its birthplace. The recipe I took away from that night called for 30ml (1oz) dry vermouth, 30ml (1oz) rosso/sweet vermouth, 7.5 Galliano, and a mere 5ml (1/6oz) fernet, but I noted: "Originally based only on bianco vermouth with no dry vermouth." I blame their hospitality as it appears their actual recipe for a Fernando is more in keeping with the proportions above.

For all those who liked my previous incarnation, the recipe is 30ml (1oz) dry vermouth, 30ml (1oz) sweet/rosso vermouth, 7.5ml (¼oz) Galliano, and 5ml (1/6oz) fernet.

Comments & Discussion

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Philip Cook Premium Member 15w

Goes quite well with Pad Thai

Bill and Audrey Kopp 45w

We used Luxardo Fernet, and found it VERY Fernet-forward. Fernet on the nose before sipping, first sip shows the bianco and Galliano, and then it's Fernet again for the long, long finish. Great if you love Fernet, good if you like Fernet.

Dr Drink 1y

I found the fernet a bit overpowering, cutting back to equal parts Galliano and fernet was much more balanced to my palate

Stephan Gröhn 1y

The former incarnation isn’t bad at all but I prefer the latest recipe because of its minty freshness.

Stephan Gröhn 1y

I wonder where the mint tones come from here. Guess Galliano because Fernet Branca needs Branca Menta for that…

Peter M Premium Member 1y

Fernet Branca definitely has mint notes.

John CARR Premium Member 2y

Very minty and secondarily herbal. Certainly refreshing. Not sure I love it though.

John CARR Premium Member 2y

Second attempt, and based on connects here went with Cocchi Americano, 15 fernet and 15 Strega. More to my taste.

Ian Fenton 2y

Fernando is ugly and thick, but not completely without charm.

Definitely not dry/sour - I’d say it was getting close to my tolerance for sweetness for a drink served straight up (even though I would drink any of the ingredients by themselves on the rocks on the right day).

Might be better with a dry vermouth instead of bianco to knock the sugar back by 4g or so, but I didn’t really like it enough to experiment.

Jacques Gaudin Premium Member 2y

Delightful drink, tempted to use a liquorice stick segment as a garnish.

G. M. Genovese Premium Member 2y

Branca Menta is too overpowering in this, but I love the drink nonetheless... I did use Cocchi Americano, so that might have tamed the Branca a bit, who knows. (11 Jan 2024, 3:20p)

John CARR Premium Member 2y

Cocchi Americano sounds like potentially a good sub here.

Morten Carlsbaek Premium Member 2y

Fresh, intense, complex but harmonious cocktail though no big fan of Fernet-Branca. I used Liquore Strega instead of Galliano L'Autentico liqueur, they are so similar. Next time, I might use a little less Fernet-Branca, possible 15 ml.