A bitter recipe of supposed Russian origin, however the veracity of the information is debatable. The recipe still looks quite usable.
Ivan Bitter Essence Recipe:
- Nutmeg
- 4 oz
- Allspice
- 4 oz
- Ginger
- 8 oz
- Juniper Berries
- 10 oz
- Angelica Seed
- 10 oz
- Cassia Cinnamon
- 10 oz
- Cloves
- 12 oz
- Galanga Root
- 14 oz
- Bitter Orange Fruit
- 1¼ lbs
- Bitter Orange Peel
- 1½ lbs
- Gentian Root
- 2½ lbs
Instructions
Combine the spices in a mortar and grind to a coarse powder. Pack in a percolator, or glass container and add the alcohol and macerate for 3 days. Strain off the liquid and add the brandy to the reserved liquid. This should produce roughly 2 litres of bitter essence.
To make Ivan Bitters take 30 ml (1 oz) of the bitter essence and mix with 1.75 litres of 40% alcohol and 230 ml of simple syrup.
Notes:
If the bitters are not strong enough, you can increase the amount of essence used.
