Not much is know about this bitter recipe. Peruvian Bitters Recipe: Cinchona Bark 240 g Bitter Orange Peel 60 g Cinnamon Bark 15 g Galangal 5 g Cloves 5 g Vanilla 1 tsp Alcohol, 70% 480 ml Instructions Mix the solids and reduce to a fine powder and extract by slow percolation with the alcohol. To make the bitters, mix […]
Tag: bitters
Stoughton Bitters
This was the bitter that started it all. Stoughton’s was first produced and sold around 1712 and was a mainstay of the medical community for many years. Over time, the formula was manipulated and some things added and others removed, but wormwood was the most important. Eventually, there were so many poorly made Stoughton’s bitters knockoffs that the term “as […]
Swiss Alpine Bitters
A type of “Alpine Bitters” similar to Swedish bitters. Swiss Alpine Bitters Recipe: Wild Cherry Bark 30 g Cinchona Bark 30 g Bitter Orange Peel 15 g Sweet Orange Peel 15 g Cardamom 7.5 g Caraway 7.5 g Cinnamon 3 g Cloves 3 g Nutmeg 3 g Alcohol, 75% 480 ml Instructions Nix the solids in a mortar and grind […]
Ivan Bitter Essence
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Red Moon Cocktail
There are some classic cocktails that use bitters as a key ingredient, the Negroni being a primary example. The problem is with the modern North American palate and its fixation on sugar laden drinks. Sweet, salt and sour seem to be fine but most North Americans shun bitter flavours. There is a small, but growing, minority that does enjoy bitter […]
How to Make Bitters
Bitters have been popular in Europe for hundreds of years, but in North America, they haven’t quite stayed as popular since the introduction of refined sugar. However, there seems to be a rekindled interest in bitter liqueurs and cocktail bitters. This could partially be caused by the Jagermeister shot phenomenon. Or, it could be that people just get bored and […]
Angostura Phosphate
If you had a hangover in the early 20th century and you asked a pharmacist or saloon keep for a solution to your problem, this would have been a common drink that would get you functional again.
Manhattan Cocktail Redux
Recently I’ve been musing about the Manhattan Cocktail and with Woodford Reserve and Esquire Magazine launching the “Craft the Ultimate Manhattan” contest, it has given me an opportunity to put my thoughts to pixels. Why? Because the recent trend in Manhattans has been to make it the most flavourful drink it can be. Flavour is great, but balance is import […]
Montana Cordial Bitters
One of the hot topics in the cocktail world is rare or lost ingredients. Most of these rare ingredients are referenced in early recipe guides or still exist, somewhere in the world, in small quantities, sometimes even just a few bottles. Amer Picon and Abbott’s bitters are perfect examples. But occasionally you come across ingredients that no longer exist and […]