How to Use Bitters to Craft the Perfect Cocktail

Bitters are high-proof, alcoholic spirits infused with flavors from herbs, fruits, and spices. The process for making bitters requires steeping organic botanicals in clear, high-proof alcohol for weeks. The ancient Egyptians were the first to make bitters-like elixirs by infusing wine with organic medicinal herbs. In the past, bitters were primarily used medicinal tinctures, thought of as cure-alls for a variety of ailments. Now bitters are non-medicinal flavoring agents used as additives in mixed drinks. Digestive bitters (or potable bitters) are bitter liqueurs meant to be consumed on their own, served either neat or on the rocks.

Bitters come in many different flavor varieties depending on the ingredients used in production. All cocktail bitters are made with high-proof, clear alcohol. Most bitters are between 35 and 45 percent alcohol by volume. Some of the most popular aromatics used in herbal bitters include:

• Allspice
• Orange peel
• Cassis
• Cardamom
• Chinchona bark
• Coriander
• Gentian root
• Grapefruit
• Nutmeg
• Caraway
• Star Anise

Many classic cocktail recipes call for the use of bitters. Bitters are also a great tool to include in new concoctions that you create in your home bar. Here are some types of bitters and the spirits they generally pair with for your own mixology and at-home bartending:

• Aromatic bitters: Aromatic bitters have a classic spice taste and pair well with whiskey and rum. Angostura Bitters (used in Manhattans) and Peychaud’s Bitters (used in the Sazerac) are both examples of aromatic bitters.
• Orange bitters: Orange bitters can be used in place of aromatic bitters to give a nice citrusy bite to a whiskey-based drink. For example, try Regan’s Orange Bitters are in your next Old Fashioned.
• Celery bitters: Celery bitters often have a light, earthy taste and work well when paired with gin or tequila. Celery bitters, like Scrappy’s celery bitters, can add a nice aftertaste to Martinis and Bloody Marys.
• Digestive bitters: Digestives, like Campari, Fernet, and Aperol, are a type of bitter liqueur that can be drunk on the rocks or used in mixed drinks, like a Negroni or an Aperol Spritz

Making your own bitters is a process that allows you greater control over the flavor profile of your bitters. The basic ingredients needed are high-proof alcohol, natural flavoring agents (roots, herbs, botanicals, and spices), a cheesecloth, and jars. Here are the four steps for making your own bitters:

1. 1. Steep: Combine your flavoring ingredients in a jar and mix in the high-proof alcohol of your choice. Let sit for two weeks, and shake once a day.
2. 2. Strain: After two weeks, strain your mixture into a fresh jar using a cheesecloth or other culinary strainer. Put the remaining solid ingredients into a pan with water and heat over the stove. Put this into a separate jar. Let both jars sit for one week.
3. 3. Mix: Remove the solids from the water-based mixture through a strainer. Combine the remaining water with the high-proof alcohol. Add sweeteners as needed. Let sit for three days.
4. 4. Bottle: Put your homemade bitters into dropper bottles or dash bottles and enjoy in your favorite mixed drink.

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