Some traditions are born in silence, in the dusty hands of a bartender at the end of the shift, between a shot of Fernet-Branca and a handshake that says it all. This is what happened in the early 2000s, in San Francisco. In that gesture repeated every evening – the passing of the baton between colleagues behind the bar – the Bartender's Handshake, a symbol of trust and belonging. A simple, yet powerful ritual.
In 2013, Fernet Branca decided to give concrete form to this ritual and transform it into a symbolic object: this is how the first COIN. Not a simple medal, but a distinctive sign, capable of representing the invisible bond that unites the global community of bartendersThe idea was to strengthen the sense of belonging to the brand, rewarding the most passionate professionals with a unique and highly representative object. Since then, each country where Fernet-Branca is particularly loved has seen the birth of its own COIN, often designed to tell the local cultural identity and the visual language of the territory. These coins are symbols of pride, recognition and loyalty, true passports for those who belong to the Fernet family.
But this year something different happened. On the occasion of the 180th anniversary of Fernet Branca, the need arose to take a further step, involving even more directly those who experience this culture every day behind the counter. This is how the idea of making bartenders the protagonists in the creation of the 2025 commemorative coin was born.
Not only recipients, but creators. For the first time in Italy, in fact, a real one has been structured Coin Program: thirty bartenders selected among the most active and deserving of the community – present on social media, at fairs, at events signed by Fernet Branca – were invited to Milan to live a unique creative experience. All of them are authentic spokespeople for the brand's values, many already owners of at least two COINs. Divided into three teams, they received a brief and worked together to create three graphic proposals to best represent the spirit of this special year.
To guide them on this journey, a professional illustrator and the Global Brand Ambassador, in a day that was a workshop, meeting, sharing and celebration. The COIN winner will be officially unveiled during the Roma Bar Show 2025.
In the meantime, the rules of the game they remain the same as always. You don't ask for a COIN: you earn it. It is a recognition that comes with time, with commitment, with the ability to embody the values of the community. Whoever receives it knows that he has in his hands not only an object, but an honor. It goes always carried with you, as a sign of identity. It is not exchanged for money, and when it is given away, it is only in exchange for another COIN, never lightly. Those donated or received as a prize have an even more intimate and profound value.
The integrity of the coin is sacred: modifying it – for example by piercing it to make a pendant – means erasing its meaning. And even the gesture of showing it has its own ritual: never in other people's hands, but on the counter or on a table, so that it speaks for itself. The right time to use it? When you order one shot of Fernet Branca, when you enter a bar and want to say, without words: I'm here, I'm one of you.
Who owns a Fernet Branca COIN He doesn't just have a medal. He has a medal in his hands symbolic key, capable of opening doors, building bonds, bridging distances between colleagues scattered across the globe. You don't need a uniform to feel part of something. Sometimes, a coin is enough.
And in the world of mixology, few things have this power. A COIN Fernet Branca It's not an award to show off. It's a declaration of membership, a silent gesture that tells a story, a passion, an identity. From San Francisco to Milan, from underground bars to starred cocktail bars, that story continues. One COIN at a time.
