Ferrari Shot
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 22.5% ABV ∙
The Ferrari Shot is a two-ingredient bittersweet shot of equal parts Fernet Branca and a red bitter such as Campari, shaken and served straight up.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Fernet Branca liqueur 25 mlRed bitter 25 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and discard
Tips
- Shake hard and briefly with ice, then fine-strain so no ice shards land in the shot glass.
- Express the orange twist over the shot and discard it; only the oils go into the drink.
History
The Ferrari is an equal-parts shot of Fernet Branca and Campari, and its creator and exact origin are not documented. It emerged within bartending culture as an industry "handshake" drink, the kind of shot bartenders share with one another rather than serve to customers. Fernet Branca itself was created in Milan in 1845, and its handshake reputation took hold in San Francisco before spreading nationally. The Ferrari is generally described as a natural outgrowth of that trend, pairing Fernet with the other well-known Italian bitter, Campari.
By the mid-2010s the shot had spread widely enough in the United States that bartenders began using the Fernet-Campari combination as a building block in composed cocktails rather than only as a straight shot.
FAQ
What is in a Ferrari shot?
Equal parts Fernet Branca and a red bitter such as Campari, 25 ml each. An orange twist is expressed over the shot and discarded.
Is a Ferrari shot shaken or stirred?
Shaken, hard and briefly, then fine-strained so no ice shards land in the shot glass. The shake chills the two liqueurs fast and takes the edge off their bitterness.
What does Fernet-Branca taste like?
Fernet-Branca tastes intensely bitter and medicinal, with strong mint, menthol, and dark herbal notes over a base of dozens of botanicals. It is much more pungent and less sweet than Campari, which leans toward bitter orange.
