posted Thursday, Jun 08, 2017 | 12:05PM
CHICAGO – June 8, 2017 Fernetic, a collaboration between Chicago’s Forbidden Root Brewery and Fernet-Branca, will see limited distribution throughout the state of Florida and is available from Cavalier Distributing This highly sought-after craft beer is Fernet-Branca’s first foray into craft beer. With help from the Branca family, the Forbidden Root team deconstructed the beloved Italian digestif and reconstructed the legendary family recipe into an unforgettable craft beer for Amaro and beer lovers alike.
At 8.4%, Fernetic is an exotic, spicy and complex beer from quality ingredients such as rhubarb root, saffron, and wormwood, among the selected botanics of the 27 herbs and spices found in Fernet-Branca. With hints of coffee and peppermint on the nose, Fernetic offers complex flavors and a soft roastiness in its dark-colored finish. Bitter notes build to a spicy, creamy middle and dry woody finish.
“I am extremely proud of Fernetic, a craft beer inspired by my family’s Fernet-Branca recipe that dates back to 1845,” says Edoardo Branca, the sixth generation Branca family member now managing the Fratelli Branca business in the U.S. “Our goal was to find a way to translate the Fernet-Branca experience into beer and Forbidden Root was the natural partner to make this happen. Amaro and craft beer fans alike will now get to experience something that has never been done before; the first collaboration of this kind for both Fernet-Branca and Forbidden Root.”
“Collaborations are always an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and build off someone else’s creative energy,” says Forbidden Root head brewer BJ Pichman. “With Fernet-Branca, we were working with a nearly 175 year-old recipe, a body of very distinct flavors and a bitterness factor that is not usually present in beers. Our team really enjoyed the creative challenge of working to make a delicious, uncommon beer while keeping true to the flavors and history of the Fernet-Branca recipe.”
Fernetic will be launched at the Ice Plant Bar in St. Augustine, on Wednesday, June 21. A cocktail competition will run from 3-5 p.m. preceding the 5 p.m. Fernetic tapping. The event will give attendees an opportunity to taste the unique collaboration brew, meet Fernet-Branca and Forbidden Root representatives, and enjoy Fernetic-inspired cocktails.
Similar launches will occur at Boyton Beach’s Sweetwater Bar & Grill on Thursday, June 22 at 7 p.m. with a cocktail competition at 10 p.m., and at the Blue Goose in St. Petersburg on Friday, June 23 at 6 p.m.with a Fernetic tapping at 8 p.m.
About Forbidden Root
Forbidden Root is a craft brewery inspired by nature. By using traditional ingredients as a base, they explore a rich world of wild botanicals to create an exciting range of beers both familiar and eccentric. Forbidden Root’s year-round beers include:Wildflower Pale Ale (WPA), Sublime Ginger, and Money on My Rind, in addition to several limited releases and brewpub-only offerings. Forbidden Root’s brewery and restaurant are located in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood and serves lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch. For more information, visit Forbidden Root’s website or follow the brewery on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @ForbiddenRoot and Untappd.
About Fernet-Branca
Everyone’s favorite Italian amaro, Fernet-Branca has a rich history as the world’s most popular digestivo, made with 27 herbs and spices, that to this day, are a closely guarded family secret. Though it was born back in 1845, over the years Fernet-Branca has successfully preserved the personality and uniqueness that have conquered Europe and America alike. Its secret formula, passed down from father to son in the Branca family, has guaranteed the protection of the quality that still makes it the digestive bitter liqueur par excellence. Indeed, the 27 herbs it contains come from four continents: aloe comes from South Africa, rhubarb from China, gentian from France, galingale from India or Sri Lanka, chamomile from Italy or Argentina, just to name a few. On top of that there are flowers, herbs, roots and plants used for alcoholic brews, extracts and teas that, blended in a special mixture, produce the beneficial properties of the product. Fernet-Branca ages for at least one year in oak barrels and has a light brown color with amber hues. Its aroma is intense and penetrating, balanced and rich.