The story
Italian immigrants brought fernet, the bitter digestif from Milan, to Argentina around 1900, where people drank it neat, with soda or in coffee. Mixing it with cola is most closely tied to Córdoba, the country's second city. One legend credits Oscar 'el Negro' Becerra, a drummer and bartender from Cruz del Eje in the same province, in the 1970s, while others say the mix existed by the 1950s. What is clear is that university students in Córdoba made it their drink in the 1980s, and Fratelli Branca then promoted it nationwide. In 2020 it became an official IBA cocktail under the name fernandito.
Rival claims
A legend credits a bartender from Cruz del Eje, about 130 km northwest in the same province, in the 1970s.
Also known as fernandito, fernando, fernet and Coke, fernet con Coca-Cola.
On the Meridish menu
Fernet con coca was the aperitif course on menu No. 20 on October 20, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
A bitter herbal liqueur from Milan topped up with cola. Students in this college city made it a national craze in the 1980s; a small town nearby also claims it.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernet_con_coca
- argentina.travel/en/news/fernet-with-coca-cola-is-as-popular-and-characteristic-a-drink-in-argentina-as-mate-itself-what-it-is-and-how-to-prepare-this-traditional-drink
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
