At This Appalachian Distillery, Moonshine Could Be Medicine
By Mark Johanson
Snake down the knobby Appalachian hills of the Blue Ridge Parkway into the city of Asheville, detour toward the historic Biltmore Village, and you might just find yourself at the warehouse-like distillery of Eda Rhyne. Inside you’ll see a giant mural from local artist Hannah Dansie depicting the distillery’s namesake: a woman from an old ghost story that takes place in neighboring Haywood County…
The Essential New-School Fernet
By Brad Thomas Parsons
For decades, the category of fernet has been synonymous with Fernet-Branca. The family-owned, 176-year-old Milan-based company has a long history of creative marketing and advertising that has landed their bracing and herbaceous elixir in over 160 countries across five continents. The global army of devoted bartenders who trade collectible challenge coins and rock countless tattoos of the brand’s logo attests to the enduring appeal of Fernet-Branca as the “bartender’s handshake” of choice.
The Best Amaro You’ve Never Heard of Comes From Appalachia
By Yolanda Evans
Every spirit should tell a story. In the case of Eda Rhyne, a small craft distillery in Asheville, North Carolina, an actual spirit — the phantasmal, goes-bump-in-the-night kind — is at the center of that story, and everything they do.
Taste Test: American Fernet
By Penelope Bass
Prior to the booming popularity of bitter liqueurs, fernet was the mysterious cool kid—the “bartender’s handshake” for those in the know. The traditional Italian amaro with menthol-forward flavors and a bracing bitterness isn’t exactly approachable on first sip. But the continued fervor for esoteric flavors, particularly in the bitter realm, has expanded the category exponentially over the last decade.