Fernet con coca

Lore & Background

Fernet was introduced to Argentina by Italian immigrants during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1941, Fratelli Branca opened its only production plant outside Italy in Buenos Aires. Before the combination with cola became popular, fernet was traditionally consumed as an apéritif or digestif, often as an after-dinner shot, mixed with soda water, or in a carajillo de fernet. The exact origin of the cocktail is poorly documented and 'somewhat shrouded in mythmaking,' but it is generally agreed to have originated in Córdoba Province. Some sources date it to the 1950s as a variation of fernet and soda; others attribute its invention to Oscar 'el Negro' Becerra, a drummer and bartender from Cruz del Eje, in the 1970s. Another version suggests it was invented in Argentina's northern provinces. The drink grew in popularity in Córdoba city during the 1980s, especially among university students. By the end of that decade, Fratelli Branca launched national advertising campaigns encouraging the combination with Coca-Cola, first implicitly and then as an official co-branding campaign from 1994 to 1997. The campaign is considered one of the most successful marketing strategies in the country's recent history.

Reader's Guide

Fernet con coca is a long drink, typically served in a tall tumbler such as a highball, with ice. The result is a black concoction with a 'velvety,' gold-tinted foam and a complex, bittersweet taste. Proportions are debated; a popular measurement is three parts fernet to seven parts cola. An early Cordoban version called '90210' calls for nine-tenths fernet, two ice cubes, and one-tenth cola. The IBA recipe (2020) calls for 50 ml Fernet-Branca poured into a double old fashioned glass with ice, filled up with cola. Fernet-Branca and Coca-Cola are the preferred brands, though local bitters and ready-to-drink versions have emerged. Over time, Argentine fernet products have been 'lightened' in bitterness, alcohol content, and syrupy texture for consumption with cola. The drink's popularity has been linked to the modernization of cuarteto music and Argentina's tumultuous political and economic life. By 2012, 40 million liters of fernet were produced per year, and consumption grew 251% during the 2000s. Production has fallen since 2015 amid economic downturn.

Did You Know?

• Argentina consumes more than 75% of all fernet produced globally.
• The cocktail is also known as fernando or its diminutive fernandito.
• Fratelli Branca's marketing campaign for fernet con coca is considered one of the most successful in Argentina's recent history.
• In Buenos Aires alone, sales of the drink grew by 115% between 2001 and 2008.