Fred Jerbis Fernet 25 Bitters 750ml

Fred Jerbis is the project of Federico Cremasco, a young herbalist and mixologist working in Friuli in northeastern Italy, near the foothills of the Dolomites. Rather than approaching spirits as a traditional distiller, Cremasco works more like a perfumer, cultivating many of his own herbs in a small home garden and foraging additional botanicals from the surrounding forests and mountains. This hands-on, small-batch approach has made Fred Jerbis a distinctive name among modern Italian amaro producers, known for spirits that favor precision and restraint over the heavier, more aggressive style typical of larger commercial fernets.

Fernet 25 is built from twenty five botanicals, including gentian, rhubarb root, bay laurel, chamomile, peppermint, dandelion, saffron, and bitter orange peel, most sourced within a short radius of the distillery. These botanicals are infused in high proof grain alcohol before the fernet rests in chestnut barrels for roughly forty to sixty days, a shorter maturation than many traditional recipes that lends structure without dominating the underlying herbal character. No artificial colors or flavorings are used, so the deep amber hue comes entirely from the plant extractions themselves.

The aroma is fragrant and herbal, with mint and rhubarb leading over a base of gentian and dried citrus peel. On the palate the fernet feels rich yet notably restrained, balancing bitter, savory, and lightly sweet elements rather than pushing hard bitterness to the front. The chestnut aging contributes a gentle tannic grip, and the finish stays long, dry, and slightly cooling, with herbal and mineral notes trailing after the initial sip.