Two Fernets, Two Continents
If you have ever ordered a digestif in a bar anywhere outside Italy and seen the bartender reach for something dark, bitter, and non-negotiable, the chances are it was Fernet Branca. Since 1845, Bernardino Branca's Milanese recipe has been the default answer to the question "what do we have for after dinner?" across the world. It is the benchmark. The reference point. The thing that first taught most bartenders what the word "fernet" actually means.
Asterley Bros launched BRITANNICA in 2019, positioning it as the UK's first London Fernet. That is a deliberate framing: not "a British fernet", but a fernet made in London, drawing on British botanical tradition rather than Italian. The two products share the broad family name and a commitment to bitter, complex, aged digestif liqueurs. Beyond that, they diverge significantly in almost every dimension.
This is a comparison for someone who wants to understand what they are choosing between, not a verdict on which is "better". They are two distinctly different instruments.
How They Are Made: Botanical Foundations
Fernet Branca is built around 27 herbs, roots and spices sourced from four continents. The official Fernet Branca website describes the recipe as "a special journey through the 27 herbs, roots and spices that make up its secret and unique special formula" (source: Fernet Branca official site). The exact botanicals are not published, which is part of the brand's mystique. What is known from third-party analysis is that saffron, myrrh, chamomile, and zedoary are among the confirmed players (source: drinkshopuk.com product description). The spirit is distilled and then aged in oak barrels for approximately one year before bottling at 39% ABV.
BRITANNICA London Fernet is a British interpretation. The Shopify-listed botanicals include cacao nibs, rosemary, myrrh, chocolate malt, and London Porter. Operator-confirmed additions include mint, chocolate spelt malt, cinchona, vanilla, dandelion, liquorice, and date. The base is British, not wine-based, and the allergen information confirms the presence of sulphites and gluten (from the malt and porter element of the recipe). Where Fernet Branca is distilled and aged, BRITANNICA draws on Asterley Bros' broader aromatised-wine and botanical experience to produce something that maps to the fernet style but with British-grown botanicals including rosemary and other hedgerow herbs.
The most notable practical difference is sweetness. Fernet Branca is characterised by its near-complete absence of sugar, which puts it at the extremely bitter end of the amaro spectrum. Third-party tasting coverage notes that "fernets may forgo sugar entirely, leaving them extremely bitter" (source: Eater drinks feature, December 2015). BRITANNICA, while assertive, is slightly less austere in its delivery.
Product Comparison Table
| Asterley Bros BRITANNICA | Fernet Branca | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £38.95 (750ml) | From approximately £21 (70cl, UK retail) |
| ABV | Not publicly stated | 39% |
| Sugar | Not stated | Essentially zero |
| Key botanicals | Cacao nibs, rosemary, myrrh, chocolate malt, London Porter, mint, cinchona, vanilla, dandelion, liquorice, date | 27 herbs including saffron, myrrh, chamomile, zedoary (exact recipe secret) |
| Sourcing | British-sourced heavy items; imported botanicals where necessary | Herbs from four continents |
| Method | British base, botanical maceration and distillation | Distilled, oak-aged approximately 1 year |
| Format | 750ml matte black bottle | 70cl glass bottle |
| Allergens | Sulphites, gluten | Not publicly stated |
| Origin | South London, UK (2019) | Milan, Italy (1845) |
| Heritage claim | "UK's first London Fernet" (2019) | Original fernet, 180+ years |
Price and Format: Where Fernet Branca Wins
Fernet Branca is the honest winner on price and availability. A 70cl bottle retails from approximately £21 at major UK supermarkets and online retailers (source: Waitrose product page; confirmed available at Waitrose, Amazon, and Tesco). BRITANNICA is priced at £38.95 for a 750ml bottle, which works out at a meaningful premium per millilitre. Fernet Branca is also stocked in virtually every supermarket in the country, available from Amazon with next-day delivery, and present in the vast majority of bars that carry any digestif at all.
If you are choosing purely on value and accessibility, Fernet Branca is the straightforward answer. It is not close.
The price reflects more than brand cachet. Fernet Branca has been in continuous production since 1845 and is made at industrial scale by Fratelli Branca Distillerie in Milan. BRITANNICA is small-batch, handmade in South London with a significantly smaller production run. Price and accessibility are the trade-offs you make for the British alternative.
When to Reach for Fernet Branca
Fernet Branca is the right choice when you want the genuine article: the thing that defined the category, made in the city that invented it, backed by 180 years of global reputation. If you are ordering it in a Milanese bar as a digestif, that is the right answer. If you want the reference experience, the one that every other fernet is measured against, reach for Fernet Branca.
It is also the right choice when budget and availability are the governing factors. You can pick up a bottle at most UK supermarkets for around £21 without planning. It is always there.
The flavour profile is menthol-forward, intensely bitter, and medicinal in a way that is distinctive rather than subtle. If you want that sharp, eucalyptus-adjacent hit followed by a long bitter finish, Fernet Branca delivers it reliably. The category was essentially invented around this flavour.
When to Reach for Asterley Bros BRITANNICA
BRITANNICA is the right choice when you want something that is recognisably in the fernet family but made with a different set of priorities: British-grown botanicals, transparency about ingredients, and a slightly gentler delivery that does not require you to have already developed a taste for the most austere end of bitter.
Where Fernet Branca's recipe is a closely guarded secret, Asterley Bros publishes its botanical list and is transparent about process. Rob Berry, co-founder, has described the brand position as "we hide nothing. We want to share it all with you because we are very proud of every process and every ingredient." If that matters to you, BRITANNICA is the more honest choice.
The chocolate and porter dimension gives BRITANNICA a rounder, slightly warmer quality than Fernet Branca's sharp menthol attack. It works well as a digestif for people who find Fernet Branca slightly intimidating on its own, and it is a legitimate cocktail modifier in its own right. It also works in奶茶-style coffee or chocolate applications in a way that Fernet Branca does not.
For trade buyers: it is the only British-built fernet with verified heritage positioning in a category where most competitors are imported Italian products. That is a genuine differentiator on a drinks list.
The Yorker: a Cocktail Worth Making with BRITANNICA
A good comparison article needs a shareable recipe as its anchor. This is one we have made a few times in the South London workshop.
The Yorker (BRITANNICA, stirred)
- 50ml Asterley Bros BRITANNICA London Fernet
- 25ml Sweet vermouth (we use our own ESTATE)
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Stir over ice for 30 seconds
- Strain into a chilled coupe
- Express a strip of orange peel over the surface and drop in
The Yorker takes the classic two-ingredient digestif structure (fernet plus vermouth) and applies it to a British fernet that has more warmth and less menthol aggression than the Italian original. The result drinks like a shorter, more serious Manhattan with a bitter edge. The ABV runs high because BRITANNICA carries its 50ml without needing dilution to make it approachable.
The same structure with Fernet Branca produces something considerably more austere, where the Branca character dominates the vermouth almost entirely.
FAQ
Is Fernet Branca better than Asterley Bros BRITANNICA?
"Better" is the wrong question. They are different products with different flavour profiles, different price points, and different availability. Fernet Branca is the category reference; BRITANNICA is a British alternative with a warmer, slightly gentler character and a transparency ethos. Which is better depends on what you want the drink to do.
What is the main difference between Fernet Branca and a British fernet like BRITANNICA?
The primary differences are origin, scale, and flavour profile. Fernet Branca is an Italian digestif made in Milan since 1845 with a menthol-forward, intensely bitter character and essentially no sugar. BRITANNICA is a British fernet made in South London since 2019 with chocolate malt and London Porter at its core, a slightly warmer delivery, and full transparency about its botanical list. Fernet Branca is also significantly cheaper and more widely available.
Which one should I use in a Negroni?
Either works in a Negroni, but they produce different drinks. Fernet Branca as a Negroni modifier produces something intensely bitter and mentholated, where the Branca character dominates the gin and vermouth. BRITANNICA in the same structure produces a slightly rounder, warmer Negroni where the chocolate-malt dimension integrates more smoothly with the other ingredients. If you want the classic Roman Negroni experience, use Fernet Branca. If you want a British variant with more depth and less menthol, use BRITANNICA.
Where can I buy Fernet Branca?
Fernet Branca is available from most UK supermarkets including Waitrose and Tesco, as well as Amazon.co.uk and specialist online spirits retailers. A 70cl bottle retails from approximately £21 (source: Waitrose product listing).
Where can I buy Asterley Bros BRITANNICA?
BRITANNICA is available directly from asterleybros.com with free UK delivery on orders over £60. It is also stocked at Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols, Hedonism Wines, Master of Malt, and The Whisky Exchange. Trade enquiries can be directed to info@asterleybros.com.
Which is better for a digestif after a large meal?
Both are historically positioned as digestifs and both work in that context. Fernet Branca's intensely bitter, mentholated quality is considered traditional for aiding digestion in Italian bar culture. BRITANNICA's slightly warmer chocolate and porter quality may be more approachable if you find Fernet Branca too austere on its own.
Try Asterley Bros BRITANNICA
BRITANNICA is available to purchase directly from the Asterley Bros online shop. If you want to try a British take on the fernet category, starting with a 750ml bottle gives you enough to work with both as a digestif and as a cocktail modifier.
If you are new to fernet generally, we also offer The Negroni Society: a monthly subscription that curates seasonal Negroni recipes and variations, including regular features that use BRITANNICA as the base spirit.