"Hamburgers have been good to me and they've been good to you." Philadelphia "Phil" Collins was explained to his son Jacob in an episode of the Trailer Park Boys. Jacob was mimicking Julian's idiosyncrasies. Phil wanted to remind his son that the Dirty Burger and hamburgers in general have provided for the family. I've always considered myself a beer guy. It's what my mother drank as well as my grandparents. Doing anything different would be considered sacrilege. On a recent trip back to my hometown, I added something to my drink repertoire - cocktails.
During a recent trip back to my hometown, my girlfriend and I had just finished up with dinner with my aunt at my grandparents' favorite "gin mill" Brauer's. Brauer's hasn't changed over the last 40 years. It's what hipster dive bars aspire to be. Formica bar top with the essentials in liquor: Jack Daniels, vodka, assorted schnapps, Yukon Jack, Cutty Sark with a few other offerings. This was not a place where the bartender is going to be taking orange rind to the rim of a glass for an Old Fashioned. My grandparents, Norm and Mary, drank beer and that’s what I did. I ordered up a classic Genesee, an American adjunct lager. It’s a historical drink rivaled only by the Genesee Cream Ale. Everyone said their goodbyes and we decided to head back to our Airbnb. The rental was smackdab in my old neighborhood so I knew of all the places we could go. One such place was Vera Pizzeria. Vera is the opposite of Brauer’s. The bartenders behind the dark wooden bar work arduously on cocktails. Only the finest of liquors and they I had a gin drink that I really enjoyed. I wish I had taken a picture of the menu because it’s not something I can remember. Erika had the Some More What that consisted of graham cracker bourbon, hickory smoked syrup, chocolate bitters and garnished with a roasted marshmallow. After a second round, the waiter brought over a complimentary round of Fernet-Branca.
I’ve never turned down a free drink but Vera was very proud to have Fernet on tap! If you’re not in the know, Fernet is an amaro, which is a bitter made of herbs and spices. It’s usually served as a digestif, an after-dinner drink, and consists of myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom, aloe, and saffron. I heard of Fernet from watching Three Sheets with Zane Lamprey when he visited Argentina. Argentinians enjoy the bitter, drinking nearly 3 million liters per year. As it turns out, it's the bartender's choice for a drink. Typically, Fernet is usually made in a cocktail of Coca-Cola. Our server explained the affinity of the owner for Fernet and the significance of having it on tap because it was rare. We made sure that Fernet would be available when we returned to Portland and thankfully it was.
Our trip home was very beer-centric. We brought back beers from the West Coast, rare ones such as the hazy New England IPA, 3 Way IPA. 3 Way was a collaboration between Fort George, Great Notion, and Reubens and became rarer when the brewers announced that they would no longer make it. So after having beer throughout the day at Big Ditch Brewing, Flying Bison and Old First Ward along with a few beers at the Sabres game, I decided that I should show my travel companion a cocktail place near the arena. I couldn’t remember what she ordered but I opted for my new favorite liquor, Fernet. A very popular Fernet cocktail is called a Toronto. A Toronto is 2 ounces of rye, 1 ounce of Fernet, ½ ounce simple sugar with a few splashes of Angostura bitters. Coincidentally, when we returned to Portland, the salesman at the liquor store suggested we make the Toronto. What I made versus what Ballyhoo made were two different drinks.
We were glad to be back and even went to our usual Sunday spot, the Chill N Fill. We brought back some beer from the East Coast and had a few comfortable beers before calling it a night. We later made our own Toronto and it was a fun experience. Beers will always be my go-to beverage for when I’m looking for an altered state, but it is a refreshing change of pace to have a Fernet or a gin and tonic. No matter what, beer will always be there for you.
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