The Fernandito recipe
fernet con coca from Argentina
Fill a double old fashioned glass to the rim with ice cubes.
Pour 5 cl of Fernet-Branca over the ice.
Tilt the glass and slowly top up with cold cola, pouring along the inside of the glass, because fernet and cola foam up vigorously together.
Stir gently once with a bar spoon and let the foam settle briefly before drinking.
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The story
Fernet-Branca has been made in Milan since 1845 and came to Argentina with Italian immigrants. The combination with cola became popular among students in the 1980s in Córdoba, the university city in the middle of the country. No one knows who mixed the two first. Some stories mention a bartender from Cruz del Eje in the 1970s, while others say the mix already existed in the 1950s. In the late 1980s, Fratelli Branca began promoting the drink throughout Argentina as something to share with friends, and consumption grew quickly afterward. Fernandito is one of the many nicknames, derived from the first name Fernando. The IBA included the drink under that name in the New Era category.
The right glass
The IBA specifies a double old fashioned glass with ice. Choose a glass from 32 to 43 cl: you need room for plenty of ice, 5 cl Fernet, plenty of cola and a foamy head. A heavy base is useful because you stir it in the glass itself. In Argentina, it is also often served in a tall glass, but the wide opening of an old fashioned glass allows the herbal aroma to come through better. View our old fashioned glasses.
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The right tools
For a Fernandito, in addition to the glass, you use a bar spoon for stirring, a jigger for precise measuring and large ice cubes. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
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What do you use to make a Fernandito?
For a Fernandito, you need the right base. A well-known bottle is Fernet-Branca. On each drink page, you'll find the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works in and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
In Argentina, the proportions are personal. Many people use three parts Fernet to seven parts cola, which is close to the IBA recipe. If you want it stronger, order a 90210 as a joke: ninety percent Fernet, two ice cubes, and ten percent cola. If you want to taste Fernet's bitter side in a classic, make a Hanky Panky, in which a dash of Fernet-Branca is added to gin and sweet vermouth. Another bitter, fizzy aperitif is the Americano.
Serving tip
Chill both the fernet and the cola, so the ice melts more slowly and the drink stays crisp. According to the IBA, it should not have a garnish, so keep it simple. Serve something savory alongside, such as empanadas or a board of cured meats and cheese, because the bitterness of the fernet calls for salt.
Good to know
What is Fernet-Branca
Fernet-Branca is an Italian herbal liqueur containing 39 percent alcohol, made by Fratelli Branca in Milan. The recipe is secret; according to the brand, it contains 27 herbs, roots, and spices, including myrrh, saffron, chamomile, and rhubarb. The drink is aged in large oak barrels. Its flavor is distinctly bitter and herbal, with a cool mint note and little sweetness. It is often drunk neat after a meal as a digestif. In a Fernandito, the cola softens the bitterness, making it appealing even to those who find fernet too intense on its own.
Pouring a Fernandito without a mountain of foam
Fernet and cola quickly create a thick layer of foam, and a glass poured too quickly will overflow. So pour the fernet over the ice first, then hold the glass at an angle, as you would with beer. Let the cola run slowly down the inside of the glass, not directly onto the ice. Stop halfway, let the foam settle for ten seconds, and only then top it up. Stir just once. In Córdoba, some people deliberately let the foam rise high and pour a little more fernet on top; this is called a coronado.
Fernandito for a group
In Argentina, fernet and cola is often made in one large pitcher or glass that is passed around. For a group, allow 5 cl of fernet and about 12 cl of cola per person. A 70 cl bottle makes fourteen glasses, so you’ll need almost 1.7 liters of cola. Fill a pitcher with ice, pour in the fernet, and add the cola just before serving, slowly and in two stages because of the foam. Never mix it too far in advance, or it will go flat. You can find handy pitchers in our pitchers collection.
Fernet or Jägermeister: the difference
Both are herbal liqueurs made with dozens of herbs, but they taste very different. Jägermeister comes from Germany, has 35 percent alcohol, and is distinctly sweet, with notes including anise and licorice. At 39 percent, Fernet-Branca is stronger, contains much less sugar, and is considerably more bitter, with a cool mint and herbal note. That is why fernet works well with sweet cola, while Jägermeister is already sweet enough and is more often mixed with an energy drink, as in the Jägerbomb. So don’t simply substitute one for the other in a Fernandito.
How much alcohol is in a Fernandito
Expect about 11 percent in the glass. The 5 cl of 39 percent Fernet-Branca provides almost 2 cl of pure alcohol, which is about one and a half standard drinks. With 12 cl of cola and some melted ice, you get about 18 cl. That is comparable to a Cuba Libre, and it contains more alcohol than an ordinary glass of wine. If you make it to Argentine tastes with more fernet, the percentage rises quickly. For a lighter drink, keep the fernet at 4 cl and top up with a little more cola.
Which cola in a Fernandito
The Argentine name fernet con coca says it all: traditionally, it is regular cola with sugar, and that also works best. The bitterness of the fernet needs the sweetness for balance, while diet or zero variants leave a thin, metallic aftertaste. Chill the cola and open a new bottle or can, because carbonation is half the drink here. A glass bottle often retains more fizz than a large bottle that has been open for a day.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Fernandito?
A Fernandito is Fernet-Branca with cola, known in Argentina as fernet con coca. Pour 5 cl of fernet over plenty of ice in a double old fashioned glass and top up with cold cola. It is one of Argentina's most popular drinks and appears on the IBA list.
What is the best ratio of fernet to cola?
The IBA recipe calls for 5 cl of fernet topped up with cola, which comes to about three parts fernet to seven parts cola. This is also the most common ratio in Argentina. Start there and adjust to taste: more fernet makes it more bitter, while more cola makes it sweeter.
Why is it called a Fernandito?
Fernandito is an Argentine nickname for Fernet and cola, a playful diminutive of the first name Fernando, which resembles fernet. There are more nicknames, such as fernuco and fernacho. The IBA chose Fernandito as the official name for fernet and cola.
Which glass do you use for a Fernandito?
The IBA specifies a double old fashioned glass filled with ice. Choose a glass with a capacity of 32 to 43 cl, leaving room for ice, cola, and the foamy head. A heavy base is useful because you stir it directly in the glass.
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