Two Fernets, Two Continents
If you have ever ordered a digestif in a bar outside Italy and watched the bartender reach for something dark and bitter, the chances are it was Fernet Branca, made in Milan to Bernardino Branca's recipe since 1845 and the fernet most drinkers meet first.
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 comparison sets out what you are choosing between. They are two distinctly different drinks.
How They Are Made: Botanical Foundations
Fernet Branca is built around 27 herbs, roots and spices sourced from four continents. The exact recipe is secret, though saffron, myrrh, chamomile and zedoary are known to be among them. It is aged in oak barrels for approximately one year before bottling at 39% ABV.
BRITANNICA London Fernet is a British interpretation. Its botanicals include cacao nibs, rosemary, myrrh, mint, chocolate spelt malt, cinchona, vanilla, dandelion, liquorice and dates, and London Porter is washed through the pressed botanicals and blended into the final spirit. The allergen information lists sulphites and gluten, from the malt and the porter. Where Fernet Branca is aged in oak, BRITANNICA draws on Asterley Bros' botanical maceration expertise to make something recognisably in the fernet style, built around British ingredients.
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. BRITANNICA, while assertive, carries slightly more sugar, for a rounder delivery and a longer, richer finish.
Product Comparison Table
| Asterley Bros BRITANNICA | Fernet Branca | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £38.95 (500ml) | From approximately £21 (70cl, UK retail) |
| ABV | 40% | 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 | Botanical maceration, London Porter wash, blended in South London | Distilled, oak-aged approximately 1 year |
| Format | 500ml 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) | Made in Milan since 1845 |
Price and Format: Where Fernet Branca Has the Edge
On price and availability, Fernet Branca is ahead. A 70cl bottle typically retails from around £21 and it is widely stocked. BRITANNICA is £38.95 for a 500ml bottle, a meaningful premium per millilitre.
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.
What Fernet Branca Does Well
Fernet Branca is the traditional Milanese fernet, with more than 180 years of history behind it. In a Milanese bar, it is what you will be poured.
The flavour profile is menthol-forward and intensely bitter, distinctive rather than subtle: a sharp, eucalyptus-edged hit followed by a long bitter finish.
Where Asterley Bros BRITANNICA Makes Its Case
BRITANNICA is our pick when you want something recognisably in the fernet family but made with a different set of priorities: British ingredients such as London Porter, 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 transparent 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 creamy coffee and chocolate serves in a way that Fernet Branca does not.
For trade buyers: it is the only British-made fernet, in a category otherwise made up of imports. That is a genuine differentiator on a drinks list, and BRITANNICA has won 1 star at Great Taste twice, in 2021 and 2026.
The Hanky Panky: the Cocktail BRITANNICA Was Made For
The Hanky Panky was created by Ada Coleman, the Savoy Hotel's first female head bartender: an English bartender, in a quintessentially British hotel, making one of London's most famous cocktails. Until BRITANNICA, it was impossible to make it with an all-British line-up. We celebrate it every year on World Hanky Panky Day.
The Hanky Panky, all British
- 45ml London Dry gin
- 45ml ESTATE, our English sweet vermouth
- 7.5ml BRITANNICA London Fernet
- Stir over ice until well chilled
- Strain into a chilled coupe
- Express a strip of orange peel over the surface
That is the classic spec. With BRITANNICA, the fernet's chocolate and porter warmth sits under the gin and vermouth rather than cutting across them; with Fernet Branca, the menthol takes over more of the drink.
FAQ
Is Fernet Branca better than Asterley Bros BRITANNICA?
For a rounder, warmer fernet with chocolate and porter depth, BRITANNICA is our pick: it is the only British-made fernet, and it won 1 star at Great Taste in both 2021 and 2026. Fernet Branca is the traditional Milanese fernet: cheaper, more widely available and more austere, with a sharper menthol bite.
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?
A classic Negroni is gin, sweet vermouth and a red bitter, so fernet belongs in a variation. A little BRITANNICA adds a rounder, chocolate-and-porter depth; Fernet Branca makes the drink intensely bitter and mentholated.
Where can I buy Asterley Bros BRITANNICA?
BRITANNICA is available directly from asterleybros.com. Trade enquiries can be directed to info@asterleybros.com.
Which is better for a digestif after a large meal?
Both are digestifs by tradition. BRITANNICA's warmer chocolate and porter character is the more approachable after-dinner pour 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, a 500ml bottle gives you enough to work with both as a digestif and as a cocktail modifier.
For a new Negroni recipe every month, crafted by the best bars and bartenders, there is our members' club, the Negroni Society.
