A brutally simple equal split of Fernet-Branca and Campari, usually thrown back as a shot, where Campari's bright orange-citrus bitterness tempers Fernet's brooding mint and menthol. The two amari sharpen each other into something oddly balanced, and an optional pinch of salt rounds off the edges of all that bitterness.
Garnish: Salt
Built · Rocks · Neat
build
Combine equal parts Fernet-Branca and Campari in a small chilled glass.
stir
Stir briefly to integrate; serve neat as a shot or sip slowly. Chill the components beforehand if possible.
garnish
Optional: finish with a small pinch of sea salt to soften the bitterness.
No one knows who first poured Fernet-Branca and Campari together in equal measure, and no creator's name has ever been attached to the Ferrari. Rather than spreading outward from a single bar or recipe, it appears to have turned up in many places independently, passed quietly among bartenders and others in the trade. It is known today as a "bartender's handshake" — a shared rite of the industry rather than a drink with a recorded birth.