What are your favorite snuffs to pair with Fernet Branca and other bitter liqueurs?

I decided to make myself a Toronto cocktail tonight (4 parts rye whiskey, 1 part Fernet Branca, 1 part simple syrup, 2 dashes of your favorite bitters, garnish with an orange peel), and figured it would be a good idea to find a snuff to match. Fernet Branca is a very bitter herbal liqueur from Italy. The national cocktail of Argentina, which has the only Fernet factory outside Italy, is Fernet con Coca (Fernet with Coca Cola), which even has its own catchy song ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7j82YSmy8c ); the sugar in the Coke balances the bitterness in the Fernet. In San Francisco, Fernet Branca is popularly taken as shots with a ginger ale chaser. I know from past experience that Fernet complements mint well (the same company makes Branca Menta, a much sweeter liqueur that is heavy on the mint, and which is commonly mixed with Sprite in Argentina, and more popular with the ladies), and so after I made the Toronto cocktail this evening, I went looking for complex snuffs with mint notes. After smelling a few De Kralingse snuffs, I decided to try the Peppermunt for the first time tonight. It is a GREAT pairing with Fernet flavor, and really complements the herbal notes well. My first impressions on De Kralingse Peppermunt are very positive, nice and complex without being to heavily minty or smoky, and very easy to take. I’m glad I bought 7 or 8 other De K snuffs with my last Mr. Snuff order, and can’t wait to try them. So this gets me thinking… Does anyone else here like Fernet or similar liqueurs? What snuffs do you find pair well with them? The only references to Fernet that I could find on this forum were by @Nietzsche_Keen .

Beer and Viking Dark for me. But I’ve wondered what amaretto and Toque Almond Toast Would be like. Also De Kralingse Chocomint and Peppermint Schnapps might be nice.

@crullers I could see how most beers that aren’t too light would pair well with Viking Dark, or other dark snuffs. A chocolate snuff and peppermint schnapps (or, alternatively, a B-52 on the rocks and a peppermint or menthol snuff) sound delicious. Sadly, De Kralingse Chocomint is not one of the snuffs I have. Currently enjoing De K A/P. Doesn’t really pair well with the Fernet, but has a heck of a spruce/pine kick, something to challenge Fichtennadel, which is (at present, at least) one of my favorites. Also rather easy to take.

I definitely appreciate the floral snuffs more when paired with a good Gin, something like Amsterdam or Hendrick’s (if I have a lot of money) that’s on the sweeter side.

I was introduced to Fernet in Stockholm by a Swedish friend who thought it would be a good laugh. Surprised him. I liked it. I like Toque Pomegranate or a light licorice snuff, both set off the scents/flavors of the Fernet well.

@crullers I could see how most beers that aren’t too light would pair well with Viking Dark, or other dark snuffs. A chocolate snuff and peppermint schnapps (or, alternatively, a B-52 on the rocks and a peppermint or menthol snuff) sound delicious. Sadly, De Kralingse Chocomint is not one of the snuffs I have. Currently enjoing De K A/P. Doesn’t really pair well with the Fernet, but has a heck of a spruce/pine kick, something to challenge Fichtennadel, which is (at present, at least) one of my favorites. Also rather easy to take.

My regular style of beer is Canadian Ale and I go through piles of Viking Dark while having a few. I made a batch of stout a few months back and found that Viking Dark and SG Black Coffee paired very nicely with it. I’ve never tried Fernet but this thread has me interested in it. You describe it as herbal, is it anything like Benedictine? I was born in Toronto and have relatives still there but have never heard of a Toronto cocktail before.

@bigmick To be honest, I love trying to force shots of Fernet on unsuspecting friends, just to watch their faces curdle when they try it for the first time. It tends to be a very polarizing drink, and it’s very easy to overdo it when making cocktails out of it. I could see licorice or anise snuffs pairing quite well with Fernet, as it does have anise notes. @crullers The way I usually describe Fernet is, “It’s like an adult version of Jagermeister, but not sweet at all and much more herbal.” I believe I’ve read that the Toronto cocktail was originally made with Canadian whisky instead of rye whiskey (those used to be synonymous, but really are quite different), but most modern recipes call for rye whiskey. To be honest, I don’t know that I’ve ever tried Benedictine, though I need to, and I’ve tried most forms of bitters and liqueurs. In the States Fernet can be found at many larger liquor stores, as well as some smaller ones in areas with substantial Italian populations, not to mention the occasional Italian restaurant. A bottle of it typically runs $25-33, but lasts a while, as again, the strength of the flavor is such that cost aside, this isn’t really a liqueur that lends itself to being pounded down in drink after drink. While you’re at it, pick up a bottle of Aperol, a slightly bitter apertif/digestif with citrus notes that is less expensive than Fernet. I like to use Aperol as a more palatable substitute for Campari, which is too bitter and bold for me. In Italy, Aperol is mixed with club soda and sold in bottles as a ready to drink spritzer cocktail. I’m a former homebrewer, and given what I’ve heard about the prices of even cheap beer in Canada, I’m sure homebrewing would be a great way to save money if one could resist the temptation to constantly buy new gadgets and better equipment.

I love Fernet, no one else in my house will touch it, none of my friends like it. It’s all MINE. lol