Fernet-Branca Menta

"The origins of this appropriately named mintier 'summertime version' of Fernet Branca lie not with a canny marketeer, but a famous Italian singer, Maria Callas. The diva drunk her Fernet with mint (Fernet Branca alla menta) and being a fashion icon, so did many of her devoted fans.

The brand name is properly written as one word - Brancamenta, but due to the bottle label breaking the word in two it is better known as 'Branca Menta'.

Brancamenta was created in the mid-6os, when fashionistas began asking for a glass of Fernet-Branca with a hint of mint syrup, thus unconsciously giving birth to a tonic and refreshing drink. Brancamenta was launched in 1965 and was an overnight success.

Brancamenta is made using the same formula of more than 30 different herbs and spices as Fernet-Branca but with the addition of oil of peppermint. Like the original Fernet-Branca, it undergoes a 12 month maturation period in Slovenian oak vats."