This tiny dive bar sells more Fernet than almost anyone. And it's not in SF.

"The Drawing Room in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Los Feliz has many hallmarks of a classic dive bar: It opens early (8 a.m.) and closes late (2 a.m.). It's cash-only and has a great jukebox, but no website or phone number. And it's completely windowless, so stumbling out of it during daylight hours feels like emerging from a Las Vegas casino."

"But unlike other no-fuss watering holes, the tiny Drawing Room, located at one end of a nondescript, equally compact strip mall, has one major distinction: Despite its diminutive size, it's one of the top sellers of Fernet-Branca in the entire state of California (and thus America). Up in San Francisco, the herbaceous Italian amaro made with rhubarb, myrrh and other botanicals has become part of the local culture, especially in hospitality circles."

"Yet there the Drawing Room sits, tied for fifth on the 2025 sales list for Fernet - behind only a handful of hard-charging San Francisco bars. According to Jason Hamilton, the Southern California account manager for Fernet parent company Branca USA, the bar's high Fernet sales really come down to one woman: manager and Los Feliz native Christina Berger, who's worked at the Drawing Room for more than 20 years."

The Drawing Room is a cash-only, windowless dive bar in Los Feliz that opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 2 a.m., drawing cops, hospital staff, entertainment workers and bartenders. Despite its tiny size and nondescript strip-mall location, the bar ranks tied for fifth in Fernet-Branca sales in California and the United States. Fernet-Branca is an herbaceous Italian amaro made with rhubarb, myrrh and other botanicals and has especially strong cultural popularity in San Francisco. The Drawing Room's high Fernet sales are attributed to manager Christina Berger, a Los Feliz native who has worked there for more than 20 years and routinely serves Fernet shots.

Read at SFGATE