"'Why do bartenders drink Fernet?' Her interlocutor ventured that 'in terms of shots, it's not as harsh on your throat as whiskey...'"

"adding, in a whiskey-stained voice, 'and it really does settle your stomach.' The fact of the popularity of Fernet Branca among professional drinkspeople was, to Sophie's mind, a proof of the cult-inspiring nature of amari in general."