Bourbon Fernet Cocktail (Toronto-Inspired)

Name: Bourbon Fernet Cocktail
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 7 min
Ingredients: 2 oz Bourbon; 1/4 oz Fernet-Branca; Scant 1/4 oz Rich demerara syrup; 2 dashes Angostura Bitters; Orange peel expressed and garnished

Bob Sawyer

✦

Bourbon, Old Fashioned, Recipe, Whiskey

✦

July 21, 2026

✦

last updated

0.0 from 0 votes

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This Bourbon Fernet Cocktail takes inspiration from the classic Toronto but swaps the traditional Canadian rye for bourbon, creating a slightly rounder, richer drink while still letting Fernet-Branca do what it does best. At first sip, the Fernet can seem a little assertive, but give it two or three minutes in the glass, and everything begins to settle together. The mint, herbs, caramel, and bourbon all seem to find their place.

A scant 1/4 ounce of rich demerara syrup softens the edges without turning the drink sweet, leaving a cocktail that’s bold, herbal, and approachable. If you’ve never been sure about Fernet, this might be one of the best ways to get acquainted with it.

Flavor Expectation

Expect bourbon up front, like an Old Fashioned, followed by cooling mint, eucalyptus, herbal complexity, and a little caramel sweetness to round everything out. The finish is long, dry, and pleasantly bitter.

Overall Balance

Bourbon-forward • Herbal • Lightly Sweet • Bitter Finish

Notes & Fine Tuning

A scant 1/4 oz rich demerara syrup was the final winner after testing both a full 1/4 oz and 1/8 oz.
Let the cocktail rest for 2–3 minutes before your first sip. The Fernet opens noticeably as it sits.
Rye whiskey will produce something closer to a traditional Toronto, while bourbon creates a softer, richer interpretation.

Bourbon Fernet Cocktail

0.0 from 0 votes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings

–

servings

Prep time

minutes

Resting Time

minutes

Total time

minutes

A bourbon-forward take on the classic Toronto cocktail with Fernet-Branca, demerara syrup, and a rich herbal finish.

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

US Metric

2 oz 2 bourbon
1/4 oz 1/4 Fernet-Branca
Scant 1/4 oz Scant 1/4 Rich demerara syrup
2 dashes 2 Angostura bitters
Orange peel expressed and garnished

Directions

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice
Stir until well-chilled
Strain into a rocks glass with a large cube
Express orange peel over the top and add to glass for garnish

Equipment

Classic Mixing GlassBuy From A Bar Above
Long Bar SpoonBuy From A Bar Above
Stainless Bell JiggerBuy From A Bar Above
Stainless Julep StrainerBuy From A Bar Above

Cocktail Recipes from Bourbony.co

@bourbony.co

Tags:

bourbon, demerara, Fernet-Branca, orange

AUTHOR

Bob Sawyer

I’ve always (well, since I was of legal age to do so) enjoyed whiskeys of all stripes, but really became interested in mixing cocktails when I helped a web design client build her own mixology/cocktail recipes site a number of years ago. So now I’m sharing the wealth, so to speak. When I try a unique bourbon-based cocktail (really the only kind I drink), I then like to figure out how to make it at home. It’s easy when the bar or restaurant includes the ingredients on their menus — then it’s up to me to figure out the ratios, and let me tell you, half the fun is just getting there! Feel free to try any of these at home, and if you have one you’ve tried you’d like to share, send it to me and I’ll feature it on the site! Cheers!

Hi! I’m Bob!

If it’s got bourbon in it, I’m drinking it. And if it’s really good, I’m gonna figure out how to make it, and share it with you. Because I’m good like that.

More about me →