Malt was often thought to be the perfect and most digestible food in the 1800s, at least from a medicinal stand point. Malt bitters was often promoted as the perfect combination of medicine and a food. It was recommended for the weak, convalescent, dyspeptic and fickle. Even though malt is nutritious, in the following bitters recipe it simply adds some […]
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Hamburg Bitters
Many regions of Germany have their own style of bitters and this is one of the recipes from the Hamburg region. Hamburg Bitters Recipe: Black Pepper ½ oz
Damiana Bitters
Around 1875, a bitters based on the damiana plant was sold under the name of “Aztec Damiana Bitters” as well as “Liquor Potencial de Damiana”. The damiana plant was often used as a nerve tonic, as well as an purported aphrodisiac. This recipe comes from the Standard Manual of Soda (1899) so it was probably used in drinks and the […]
Boonekamp Bitters
An aperitif bitter that originated in Holland. Underberg bitters were once marketed as “Underberg Boonekamp Bitters” so should be a good example of this style of bitters. Boonekamp Bitters Recipe: Saffron 2 oz Cloves 3 oz Angelica Root 3 oz Gentian Root 4 oz Wormwood 4 oz Galanga 4 oz Coriander 4 oz Calisaya Bark 8 oz Calamus Root 8 […]
Berlin Bitters
Each region in Germany had a local bitters, and this is a recipe for one in the Berlin area. Berlin Bitters Recipe: Cinchona Bark 30 g Bitter Orange Peel 30 g Calamus 30 g Gentian 30 g Columbo 30 g Rhubarb Powder 1½ tsp Cinnamon Powder ¾ tsp Cloves, powder 1 tsp Alcohol, 70% 480 ml Instructions Mix the solids […]
Aromatic Bitters
A generic recipe for an aromatic type bitters. From the Standard Manual of Soda. Aromatic Bitters Recipe: Bitter Orange Peel 4 oz Calamus 1 oz Hops 1 oz Cardamom ¼ oz Cassia Bark ¼ oz Coriander 1 tsp Cloves 1 tsp Mace 1 tsp Cochineal 1 tsp Alcohol, 40% 16 oz Instructions Mix the spices in a mortar and crush […]
Wild Cherry Bitters
A recipe for Wild Cherry Bitters Wild Cherry Bitters Recipe: Wild Cherry Bark 300 g Mitchella 75 g Juniper Berries 30 g Prickly Ash Bark 15 g Sugar 600 g Alcohol, 40% 3.5 L Instructions Reduce the solids to a coarse powder, extract with the dilute alcohol by maceration for 3 to 7 days. Add the remaining ingredients, mix and […]
Wormwood Bitters
A recipe for Wormwood Bitters. Wormwood Bitters Recipe: Orange Berries 75 g Gentian 45 g Wormwood 22 g Cinnamon 15 g Galangal 10 g Ginger 10 g Angelica Root 6 g Cloves 3 g Oil of Cinnamon 30 drops Oil of Lemon 25 drops Oil of Anise 20 drops Whiskey 3.8 L Instructions Mix the solids and grind to a […]
H and H’s Aromatic Bitters
Angostura Bitters
This is a copycat recipe of the world’s most famous bitters recipe. This recipe was often used by pharmacies in the 1800s when they couldn’t procure the real thing. Angostura Bitters Recipe: Calisaya Bark 2 oz Tonka 1½ oz Red Saunders 1½ oz Bitter Orange Peel ½ oz Cardamom ½ oz Ceylon Cinnamon ½ oz Galangal ¼ oz Gentian ¼ […]
Walnut Bitters
A recipe for Walnut Bitters. Walnut Bitters Recipe: Black Walnuts (green) ½ bushel Bitter Walnut Essence 5 gal Whisky 25 gal Water 5 gal Sugar 10 lbs Wormwood 2 lbs Whortleberry 2 lbs Nutmeg 10 each Cloves, whole 2 oz Red Pepper 10 pods Coriander Seed ¼ lb Orange Peel 12 peels Instructions Combine in a 35 gallon barrel and […]
Chocolate Phosphate
The Phosphate was the defining category of drink during the soda fountains golden era (1875 to 1906) and the Wild Cherry Phosphate was the most popular, but not far behind in popularity was the Chocolate Phosphate. That’s right, chocolate soda. This wasn’t an egg cream or chocolate milkshake this was a carbonated drink that combined a chocolate syrup with acid […]
Jack and Coke Recipe
Learning from the century-old Rum & Coke recipe, making the best Jack & Coke is easy if you follow a few simple steps.
Salty Dog Cocktail
Grapefruit juice is a relatively common ingredient in cocktails, with the perennial favourite being the Greyhound, but the Paloma is better. Unlike a Screwdriver, the Greyhound isn’t nearly as sweet and even has a pleasant bitterness that is imparted by the grapefruit juice. There are people who do not enjoy the bitterness of grapefruit juice, so those people tend to […]