Bitters
Bitters are a special category of alcoholic beverage named for their flavor. Bitters are made by steeping aromatic herbs, tree bark, and other elements in alcohol, the result being a very concentrated spirit with intense, bitter flavor. Bitters, often known as aromatic bitters, are intended to be used in small quantities in cocktails, though that has not prevented some enterprising drinkers from consuming them as shots. Bitters should not be confused with so-called “digestive bitters,” which are classified here under the amari category (and which are intended to be consumed solo).
Top Bitters Posts:
Do Bitters Go Bad?
Tasting Comparison: Orange Bitters
The Bitter Truth Bitters Lineup
Fee Brothers Old Fashion Bitters vs. Angostura Bitters
If you have one brand of bitters in your home bar, it’s probably Angostura, and for good reason: It’s one of the most called-for name brand ingredients in all of cocktaildom, and its versatility is unmatched in the world of bittering agents. Angostura is named for the Angostura bark in its recipe, and it shows,…
The Best Orange Bitters Roundup – Regans’, Fee Brothers, The Bitter Truth, & Angostura (2025 Update)
After aromatic bitters, orange bitters are easily the most commonly called-for bittering agents in cocktails today. There’s also a huge variety of bitters available on the market. Are they any different? Which is best? I put four big bitters brands to the test to see which was best. Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6 – A…
With the espresso martini reigning as the It Cocktail of the moment, there’s no harm in stretching your legs into other coffee-flavored libations. As one idea, why not give coffee bitters a try? McMann & Tate makes this product from a blend of medium roasted Arabica beans, cacao, and “a mix of flavorful spices, herbs,…
Bitters are the salt and pepper of cocktailing, adding that special touch to your favorite drinks but living under the surface. Before bitters became an essential part of cocktail culture, people used them for medicinal purposes. Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, you found bitters in pharmacies. A popular one you may have heard…
Our friends at New Orleans’ Cocktail & Sons are known for their syrup mixers, and now the company is branching out into bitters — under the “Max Bitter” brand name. Today we’re looking at the latest cocktail sweetener from the operation, plus its three inaugural bitters offerings. Cocktail & Sons Tonic #15 – Made with…
Our friends at High Camp make some pretty awesome drinking vessels — and they also make one thing you can actually consume, their own bitters, called Campfire Bitters. Campfire is a rarity in that it lists (most of) its ingredients on the label. Those include gentian, cinchona, cinnamon, salish, pepper, and then “natural roots and spices.”…
Bitters are traditionally made, quite simply, by steeping botanicals in alcohol for a length of time, then bottling the finished product. Bitters add a lot of flavor to a drink, but they also add a bit of booze — most bitters are actually very high in abv — so for folks looking to limit or…
Runamok is a producer of traditional maple syrup in Vermont, and the company recently branched out into cocktail ingredients, where maple has long been popular. Today we take a look at six different Runamok products — four syrups and two types of bitters — all made with glorious tree juice at their core (and no…
Santa Teresa 1796 has been a top shelf rum for years. Produced in Venezuela and aged, solera-style, in bourbon and Cognac casks, it’s a well-aged rum that contains trace amounts of rums that, by this point, are upwards of 60 years old. (Most of the rum in the solera, of course, will be considerably more…
At this point it feels safe to say that the 2020 holiday season will be unlike any other in our lifetimes. And while in-person gatherings may not be possible, it doesn’t mean that you’re going to stop exchanging gifts. In fact, in the world of booze, it’s easier than ever to ship a bottle of…