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
A couple of dashes of bitters swimming in a glass full of booze. How much of a difference can it make if you choose aromatic vs. creole, chocolate vs. orange, cucumber vs. rhubarb? Well, to help get to the bottom of the mystery of how much of a role bitters play in a cocktail, The…
Although Angostura makes a line of orange bitters, it’s best known for its iconic, eponymous aromatic bitters, a paper-wrapped bottle which no bar should be without. Now the Angostura bitters line expands to a whopping 3 expressions, with the launch of Angostura Cocoa Bitters. These bitters are made with Trinitario cocoa which is grown on…
Hey, Jack Daniel’s finally has its own line of bitters: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Cocktail Bitters, designed to “work hand in hand with Old No. 7.” Let’s give them a try. The nose is heavy on cloves and nutmeg, the intensity coming across a little like a funky jerk spice. Some dark cocoa powder notes emerge…
Berg & Hauck’s is a German company based in the heart of Bavaria. The operation produces 6 varieties of bitters, all made with “superior ingredients sourced from all over the world to achieve the best flavor and enrich the taste of fine food and mixed drinks with unparalleled balance and complexity. Carefully selected herbs and…
I encountered Sonoma’s Bitter Girl Bitters at a recent event at Hanson of Sonoma, where they were paired with the company’s vodkas and whiskey in a variety of cocktails. I brought some home to try. Thoughts on a trio of products follow. (Pro tip: Shake well before using.) Bitter Girl Batch One Bitters – A…
The Bitter Housewife is a fanciful name for a new line of products clearly not being developed by a housewife at all but by a savvy entrepreneur. I met owner Genevieve Brazelton at a recent event and found her to not even be a little bit bitter, but rather quite effusive about her burgeoning product…
Today we’re dipping back into the bitters of Novato, California-based King Floyd’s, catching up on a few expressions we missed the first time around. Let’s dive in. King Floyd’s Scorched Pear & Ginger Bitters – Heavy on the notes of fresh, pungent ginger, if only because “scorched pear” just doesn’t pack nearly as much punch.…
Remember Dashfire’s sextet of canned cocktails we recently reviewed? Well now we’re taking a step back to look at the products that got the Minnesota-based company started: the bitters that are used in the creation of all those ready-to-drink cocktails. The company produces more than a dozen bitters varieties, but we’ll get things going with…
There are wine clubs, cocktail clubs, and spirits clubs… why not bitters clubs? Bitters Lab is the brainchild of a Utah food professional who’s turned her eye to making uniquely flavored bitters: “bitters for everyone; from the novice home-bartender or baker, to seasoned chefs and of course, those in the bar industry.” Bitters lab has…
Ever wanted to make your own bitters, but didn’t know where to start? Art in the Age (makers of a number of specialty bitter liqueurs) has partnered with Terra Luna, an herbally-oriented company in Philadelphia, to make bitters-making easy at home. This box includes almost everything you need to turn Terra Luna’s herbal blend into…