Fernet y Coca Cola is the official drink of Buenos Aires and Argentina (besides vino tinto). The first 10 times you drink it, you hate the taste of it. It gives you an instant cotton mouth. The first time I drank it, I literally spit it back into my glass. However, once you’ve tried upwards of 11 Fernet Y Coca Cola, the taste begins to grow on you.
MetroWise describes Fernet as the following…
The easiest way to explain the taste is to imagine Jägermeister without the sugar. You shoot it, immediately getting a strong hit of mouthwash - drying the mouth out, stinging the tongue. Its kind of like getting hit in the nose. Your brain hurts, your eyes sting and water, you cough a bit. Then, as soon as it begins a warm wave of relief washes over and you are left baptized in Italian herbals and golf ball eyed awake.
Sounds pleasant, right? At first I would not touch anything with Fernet close to it. One year later, I drink it at least once a weekend. Oh, and I will most definitely be searching for it when I move back to the states.
And one other factoid I’ve learned: SIN BRANCA, NO HAY FERNET.
2 years ago