How to Make Your Own Signature Bitterness on Every Cocktail

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Any bar worthy of its rim salt should be filled with at least a couple of bottles of bitters. You can of course make a cocktail without them, but you can also bake chicken without salt and pepper. Like these everyday condiments, cocktail bitters add flavor and depth to almost any drink, and making your own drink creates a unique imprint on every cocktail you serve.

I encourage you to think of bitters as something like a “spice cocktail rack” and think of each cocktail as a “choose your own adventure” situation. Homemade bitters are so easy to make (you just drop something in the jars) that there is no reason not to have a bottle to suit your every whim. Plus, they make great, super thoughtful gifts. (It’s September for everyone, which means it’s time to start worrying about the holidays.)

What’s in a name?

Bitters get their name exactly as you would expect: they are flavored with bitter-tasting plant parts. Gentian root (a classic bitter tincture) is the most common bitter remedy, but others, such as citrus peels and dandelion root, work just as well and cost a lot less. Bitters should not be made from 100% bitters (that would be terrible), but they should be there.

Angostura (which derives its aroma mainly from gentian root) is classic for a reason, but bitters can be made with just about any flavor you can think of, from sweet (like vanilla rhubarb) to savory (ginger chili) great for Bloody). So go crazy kids and ride this cocktail cart to Flavortown. (For further reading and for more recipe ideas, grab copies of Bitter Drink by Brad Thomas Parsons and Drunken Nerd Amy Stewart .)

What are they made of?

Bitter drinks are made up of three things: hard liquor, which (usually) has no flavor of its own, bitter plant parts, and not-so-bitter plant parts. If you don’t happen to live near one of those hippie-run grocery stores that sell botanicals like this (or Whole Foods), you can order bitters and other herbs and spices from Dandelion Botanical , Mountain Rose Herbs, or even Amazon . For bitter substances, consider starting with one (or more) of these:

After you’ve chosen a bitterness remedy, think of other flavors to go with it. This may include but is not limited to:

  • Herbs / spices / miscellaneous. plant parts: cinnamon, allspice, peppercorns, anise, cloves, juniper, ginger, lemongrass, sage, rosemary, thyme (although probably not parsley), lavender, mint, coriander, fennel, cardamom, the list goes on, and i think you get it .
  • Fruit: Citrus peels, apple peels, Trader Joe’s awesome dried cherries , any other Trader Joe’s awesome dried fruits, raisins (I think).
  • Nuts / Beans: Coffee beans, cocoa beans, almonds, pecans, peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts.

Finally, you need ethanol. You need something that has at least 100 proofs and is not very tasty on its own. Everclear vodka and high-strength vodka work great, but there is no law against using whiskey or rum, especially if it suits your taste.

Play Matchmaker

It might be tempting to combine all the ingredients , but try starting small, perhaps three or four flavors in your first batch. (Or not, whatever. I’m not your mom.) Here are a few combinations that I like:

  • Bitter Cola: kola nuts + vanilla pods + lime zest
  • Pumpkin Spiced Latte Bitters (where are my basics colleagues?) : Cinnamon sticks + ginger + allspice + nutmeg + coffee beans (I would use high-strength bourbon for this).
  • Bitters Strawberry and Rhubarb: Wild Cherry Bark + Dried Strawberries + Rhubarb
  • Lemon-bitter pepper: lemon zest + peppercorns
  • Peanut Butter & Jelly Bitters: Oregon Grape Root + Grapes + Peanuts

Put it all together

It can be tempting to drop everything in one jar and let it all melt, and of course there is no law preventing it, but there is one tiny problem with this method: since different botanicals penetrate at different rates, you cannot easily control the dominant flavor. … The “many small jars” method takes care of this:

  1. Place each plant in a separate jar. Designate it. ( The Kitchn recommends starting with 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herbs per 4 ounces of liquor.)
  2. Cover them with rubbing alcohol.
  3. Close the jars tightly and put away in a cupboard or something similar.
  4. Shake the cans once a day, trying every other week to see how everyone is doing. (A few drops of plain seltzer water will give you a good idea of ​​the flavor your bitters will add to your cocktail.)
  5. Strain the herbal ingredients out of small jars when they reach the desired strength.
  6. When everything is as strong as you want, mix them to taste. The great thing about this is that it is really customizable and no one (not even me) can tell you how to mix your bitters. Play around with different ratios, take copious notes, and once you come up with the perfect formula for your special batch of bitters, eat the notes and take your delicious secret to your grave.
  7. Hand out your lovely tincture bottles as gifts, laugh when your friends and family ask for the recipe, but never tell.

Above all, remember to have fun . Bitter drinks are the personalization of drinks and their delivery to places they have never been before (for example, Flavortown). There is no reason to get bogged down in rules and fancy books. In any case, drinking should not be related to compliance with the rules.

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