Forbidden Root Brews Fernet Branca Beer "Fernetic"

Chicago's Forbidden Root brewery and restaurant has brewed the first Fernet Branca beer, titled "Fernetic". For more, see below:

Chicago, IL—(January 11, 2017)—Forbidden Root, Chicago’s botanic brewery and restaurant, will release Fernetic, a first-ever collaboration with the producers of Fernet-Branca on January 19. With help from the Branca family, the Forbidden Root team deconstructed the beloved Italian digestif and reconstructed the legendary family recipe into an unforgettable craft beer for Amaro and beer lovers alike.

At 8.4%, Fernetic is an exotic, spicy and complex beer from quality ingredients such as rhubarb root, saffron, and wormwood, among the selected botanics of the 27 herbs and spices found in Fernet- Branca. With hints of coffee and peppermint on the nose, Fernetic offers complex flavors and a soft roastiness in its dark-colored finish. Bitter notes build to a spicy, creamy middle and dry woody finish. "I am extremely proud of Fernetic, a craft beer inspired by my family's Fernet-Branca recipe that dates back to 1845," says Edoardo Branca, the sixth generation Branca family member now managing the Fratelli Branca business in the U.S. "Our goal was to find a way to translate the Fernet-Branca experience into beer and Forbidden Root was the natural partner to make this happen. Amaro and craft beer fans alike will now get to experience something that has never been done before – the first collaboration of this kind for both Fernet-Branca and Forbidden Root.”

"Collaborations are always an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and build off someone else’s creative energy,” says Forbidden Root head brewer BJ Pichman. “With Fernet-Branca, we were working with a nearly 175 year-old recipe, a body of very distinct flavors and a bitterness factor that is not usually present in beers. Our team really enjoyed the creative challenge of working to make a delicious, uncommon beer while keeping true to the flavors and history of the Fernet-Branca recipe.”

Fernetic will be released at Forbidden Root's West Town location on January 19, at 6 p.m. Admission to the party is FREE but attendees must register here and be of legal drinking age. The event will give attendees an opportunity to taste the unique collaboration brew, taste Fernet-Branca inspired bites, and meet the makers of Fernetic. Fernetic will be available on draft and 22-ounce bottles, dipped in black wax, will be available on a very limited basis for $14.99.