Ingredients
A fernet recipe of some three dozen botanicals leaning on saffron, myrrh, cardamom and bitter roots, sweeter and rounder than the Milanese template.
- ✦Saffron
- ✦Myrrh
- ✦Cardamom
- ✦Gentian root
- ✦Rhubarb
- ✦Aloe
History of the Brand
Henri Vallet, a French distiller, brought his fernet formula to Mexico in the 1800s, where it was sold as a digestive tonic.
The brand faded through the twentieth century before being revived by descendants of the family in the 2010s.
Fernet is unusually well established in Mexican drinking culture, where fernet con Coca crossed the border from Argentina.
Vallet's softer, saffron-forward profile made it a bartender favourite as an entry point into fernet.
Tasting Characteristics
Saffron, mint, myrrh, dried orange.
Rounder and sweeter than Fernet-Branca, with cardamom, cola-spice and a firm bitter root base.
Long, menthol-cool, resinous.
Flavor meter
How to serve it
- 01Neat as a digestivo after a heavy meal.
- 02Fernet con Coca, tall over ice.
- 03In a Hanky Panky in place of Fernet-Branca for a gentler bitterness.
- 04As the accent in a Toronto with rye.
Where to Get It
Sold in the US and Mexico; distribution is growing but still specialist.
Specialty liquor stores
Shelved with amari and fernets.
Online retailers
Reliable if local shops do not carry it.
Mexican bars
Common on back bars in Mexico City and Guadalajara.
Where to buy Fernet Vallet
We may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.
Fernet Vallet FAQ
How does Fernet Vallet compare to Fernet-Branca?
+
It is softer and sweeter, with saffron and cardamom instead of Branca's aggressive menthol bitterness.
Is Fernet Vallet Mexican or French?
+
Both — a French recipe by Henri Vallet, produced in Mexico since the nineteenth century.
How do you drink Fernet Vallet?
+
Neat as a digestivo, or long with cola over ice as fernet con Coca.