On the rocks

Fernet Bomb

DiPiazza’s, 5205 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach, $5

Fernet Branca, Coke

*

In most bars, vodka is king, and oddities like

Fernet Branca, an Italian herbal liqueur, sit in dusty

bottles at the back of the shelf. But stop in to

DiPiazza’s, the lively Italian restaurant and

nightclub in Long Beach, and it’s the Fernet you’re

most likely to see in a bartender’s hand. Try a

Fernet Bomb, the house special that plops a shot

glass full of the dark, minty-yet-bitter potion into

a larger glass of Coke. Owner Mark DiPiazza

created this odd concoction because he didn’t enjoy

the Pit Bull (Jagermeister and Red Bull) so popular

at other bars. With its secret recipe containing 40 herbs, Fernet is an acquired taste, DiPiazza admits. But he and other partisans tout its reputed beneficial properties, including hangover remedy, hangover-free consumption and menstrual cramp relief.