On December 31, 2025, actor, author, and all-around aperitivo evangelist Stanley Tucci (one of my favorite actors of all time) shared a holiday cocktail that immediately caught my attention: the Fanciulli Manhattan, a pre-Prohibition riff on the classic Manhattan, distinguished by one crucial swap, Fernet-Branca in place of traditional bitters.
Tucci, who has already gone deliciously viral for his opinions on Negronis and Martinis, presented the drink with his usual calm authority: instructional, elegant, and quietly persuasive. And yes, on paper it is a Manhattan.
But after tasting it (and thinking about it longer than strictly necessary), I’m going on record: For me this drink behaves far more like a Boulevardier than a Manhattan. Who am I to argue with the master? Still, let me explain.
Once Fernet, officially an amaro, steps into the role normally played by bitters, it stops being a seasoning, bitters are usually a few drops, and starts acting like a structural ingredient things change for me. At that point, the drink crosses a conceptual line:
- Base spirit: whiskey
- Sweet vermouth
- Bitter, assertive Italian liqueur
That’s the Boulevardier template.
Yes, Campari is the canonical choice. But Fernet, darker, more medicinal, more uncompromising, pushes the drink into the same family of spirit-forward, bitter-sweet aperitivo cocktails. The balance, mouthfeel, and finish all read Boulevardier to me, not Manhattan.
Now, to be fair, the recipe itself reins things in. The Fernet is used sparingly just enough to whisper rather than shout:
Fanciulli Manhattan
- 2 oz bourbon
- 1 oz sweet vermouth
- ¼ oz Fernet-Branca
- Lemon twist, for garnish
At that ratio, the drink only barely reaches Boulevardier territory. But if you live where Negronis, Boulevardiers, and amari occupy permanent real estate in your psyche as they do here this cocktail still drinks like a Fernet Boulevardier in disguise.
And honestly?
That’s exactly why I like it.