She asked to try Fernet straight.

No Coke. No lemon. Just Fernet.

She took a sip, tried to keep a brave face, and then burst out laughing because there was no hiding it. Fernet is unapologetically bitter, herbal, medicinal, and very Argentine. It was never meant to be polite.

That is why we drink it the way we do here. Over ice, with Coke, sometimes a squeeze of lemon—at least I do. The Fernandito is not a compromise. It is the solution.

Watching someone discover that in real time never gets old.