Italian Bitters

This recipe create an Italian style aromatic bitters. The source of this recipe groups aromatic bitters with things like Benedictine and Chartreuse. Cocktail type bitters would be called "Strong Bitters".

Rosemary Leaves

½ oz

Thyme

1¼ oz

Sage

1¼ oz

Majoram

1¼ oz

Cloves

1¾ oz

Cinnamon

2 oz

Orris Root

3 oz

Wormwood Leaves

3 oz

Fennel

3 oz

Calamus Root

3 oz

Anise

3 oz

Buckbean Leaves

4 oz

Angelica Root

4 oz

Lemon Peel

4 oz

Bitter Orange Peel

5 oz

Alcohol (45%)

4 pints

Brandy

3 oz

Combine the ingredients in a mortar and grind to a coarse powder and then pack in a percolator, or other suitable maceration vessel. Pass the alcohol through the percolator over a period of 48 hours to create the Italian Bitters essence. If macerating, allow the mixture to macerate for 2 days with occasional agitation, then filter and reserve the liquid.

To make the bitters, take 1 ounce of the bitter essence and add it to 4 pints of 40% alcohol.

To make the Italian Aromatic Bitters liqueur from the above essence, take 1 oz of essence and combine it with 1700 ml of 25% alcohol, 300 ml of 60% simple syrup.