By Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya

The lowdown: Before becoming commercialized in Italy in the 1840s, fernet, an aromatic bitter that's considered a sub-sect of Italian amaro, put down roots in medicine. One of its key ingredients, myrrh, has been used medicinally for thousands of years (also makes a great gift for a potential lord and savior).

When it was first put on the market in Italy, people claimed fernet had healing powers, helping with pain, fevers, and digestion. During Prohibition, San Francisco residents were permitted to drink fernet because of its alleged medicinal properties. To this day, avid fernet drinkers claim it doesn't cause hangovers. 

Read more

Source: http://www.avclub.com/