What we are Drinking: The Fernet Flip

by Fredo

I wish I could personally thank drinks journalist Paul Clarke of the Cocktail Chronicles for introducing me to this sublime concoction. His article on the Fernet Flip marries one of my favorite spirits Fernet Branca and my obsession with Flip into one hell of a corpse reviver.

The chocolaty Carpano Antica vermouth complements the medicinal Fernet Branca and doesn't skimp on flavor. I tried several versions described by Mr. Clarke including the Boston version. Alas, I had no Xocolati Mole Bitters so I stuck with Fee's Whiskey Barrel bitters which as he points out, works just fine. I modified the recipe slightly, adding a 1/2 ounce of heavy cream to make the finish extra smooth. The drink turns out semi-sweet, creamy, and with the familiar Fernet taste coming at the end.

The Fernet Flip
1 1/2 oz of Fernet Branca
1 1/2 oz of Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
1 dash of Simple syrup
1/2 oz heavy cream
Two dashes of Fee's Whiskey Barrel bitters
1 whole medium egg
Nutmeg

Combine the ingredients in a shaker,dry shake for a few seconds. Then add ice, shake rigorously, and strain into a chilled wine goblet. Top off with a dusting of fresh nutmeg.

Trust me, Mr. Clarke calls this drink "a keeper" and I couldn't agree more. The Fernet Flip is now my official morning after remedy.

Where to get it: The Violet Hour in Chicago, Eastern Standard in Boston or my home bar.

(photo of Fernet poster courtesy of Ryan Medeiros)

What We're Drinking: Winding Down with The Flip

by Fredo

It is 3am and you have been out all night. Before throwing in the towel, you decide to have a nightcap and get into a premier cocktail bar. This is where a bad decision could occur that could wreck your morning. If you choose shots of Jameson whiskey or an all booze drink in the Manhattan family you maybe in for a long stretch in bed. If you go beer, chances are you will have more than one and walk out the bar at sunrise. As an alternative, next time you crave a stiff drink for the road but need to mellow out, try a Flip.

The Flip is one of America's oldest drinks dating back to the 18th century. Originally, the recipe consisted of ale, eggs, sugar and heated up against an hot iron. Then a stronger spirit like brandy or a sherry was added to strengthen the drink. As the Flip evolved, the ale and the heat were dropped from the recipe but fortified wine or spirit remained. Today, a typical Flip consists of a cocktail with a spirit, sherry, or port, sugar, and a whole egg, shaken over ice and dusted with nutmeg. This base formula can be adjusted, improved, and tweaked. Some of my favorite Flips:

Porto Flip
- 3 oz Port
- 1 whole egg
- 1 oz heavy cream
- 1 oz Cognac (I use Martel)
- 2 tsp of sugar
- 1 tsp Green Chartreuse (float)
- Grated nutmeg garnish

Mix ingredients in shaker over cracked ice, shake hard and strain into chilled coupe. Float Chartreuse on top with bar spoon and then dust it with grated nutmeg.(Recipe from Charles H. Baker Jr.'s Jigger, Beaker, and Glass: Drinking Around the World)

Boston Flip
- 1 oz Bourbon (I use 90 proof Elijah Craig 12 Year)
- 1 oz Madeira
- 1 whole egg
- 1/4 oz. simple syrup
- Grated nutmeg garnish

Combine in shaker over cracked ice, shake thoroughly. Strain into chilled coupe.Dust with grated nutmeg.

Black Flip
- 1 oz Cruzan Black Strap Rum
- 3 oz Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
- 1 whole egg

Combine over ice, shake thoroughly. Strain into chilled coupe.
(Adapted from Wayne Curtis’s And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails. Served at PDT in New York)

Where do we wind down?

Clover Club, ask bartender Thomas Waugh for his Wild Turkey Flip. Dutch Kills for Guiseppe Gonzalez's Champagne Flip. PDT, see above.

(photo courtesy of The Spirit World)