The Hard Start
Fernet-Branca and Branca Menta, side by side. The international bartender handshake.
The Method
How to make it
- 01
Pour ½ oz of Fernet-Branca into a shot glass.
- 02
Pour ½ oz of Branca Menta into a second shot glass — or combine them into one.
- 03
Drink them together, or alternate sips. Either is correct.
- 04
Nod to the bartender. They will nod back.
Bartender's Tip
Both bottles must be ice-cold. Room-temperature Fernet is medicinal; freezer-cold Fernet is silky. If you only have one bottle in the freezer, this drink isn't ready.
A Little History
Coined by Damon Boelte at Prime Meats in Brooklyn around 2010, the Hard Start codified a ritual bartenders had been doing for years: Fernet on its own is too bitter for a casual shot; Branca Menta alone is too sweet; combined they're perfect. The drink became the unofficial bartender handshake of the 2010s and is now poured in serious cocktail bars from San Francisco to Singapore.
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