So, in always trying to provide you with full self-disclosure, I wouldn’t drink one of these cocktails if I were dying of thirst. (OK, maybe if I truly needed liquid that badly, I would swallow it with my nose plugged. But other than that, never would I sink so low as to let this combination of liquids go down my throat.) But, and isn’t there always a but, Mr. C. might actually ask for one of these cocktails if his doctor ordered him to give up liquor starting tomorrow!  

Now please understand, it’s not the combination of ingredients in this drink that I abhor; it’s the whiskey, Fernet Branca, and the bitters. So why would I bother to provide you with this recipe when nothing about it, except the color and presentation, appeals to me in the least. Well, it’s because Mr. C. likes it and he feels certain other whiskey lovers will also find it delicious.

So that’s all I have to say on the subject. Try it if you must!  

2 oz. rye whiskey

¼ oz. Fernet Branca liqueur*

¼ oz. simple syrup

1 dash bitters (orange, Angostura, or bitters of choice)

1 thin strip of orange or tangerine peel

Fill a small shaker with ice. Add the whiskey, Fernet Branca, simple syrup, and bitters. Stir continuously for about a minute or until the mixture is well-chilled.

Strain into a cocktail glass (a coupe would be perfect), add a few ice cubes from the shaker, and drop in the strip of orange or tangerine peel as garnish.

*Fernet is an Italian type of amaro**, a bitter, aromatic spirit. Fernet is made from a number of herbs and spices which vary according to the brand, but usually include myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom, aloe, and especially saffron, with a base of grape distilled spirits.

**Amaro is an Italian herbal liqueur that is commonly consumed as an after-dinner digestive. It usually has a bitter-sweet flavor, sometimes syrupy, and has an alcohol content between 16% and 40%.