How To Make Bitters

I’ve been asked many times, by many people about the “mystery” of
making bitters, and today, finally, I am going to address this question.

Before we go into how to make bitters, let’s have a very brief discussion of what bitters are.

Bitters were originally used as medicine, curing pretty much every ailment under the sun but
usually centered around issues with digestion (have you ever added Angostura bitters to soda
or ginger ale to help settle your stomach? If you haven’t, give it a go; it works.) Unlike today,
bitters were usually taken by themselves, and it wasn’t until the late 1700’s that people started
adding them to spirits (in themselves a cure-all) giving birth to the cocktail (and cocktail
bitters). Today, cocktail bitters are added to one’s tipple to introduce subtle new flavors and
help integrate all of the components of the libation together, offering up a much more
complex and interesting cocktail. Bitters while bitter tasting by themselves are usually only
applied in small drops or dashes and will not make a cocktail itself bitter, a common
misconception.

The first mystery of making bitters is quite simple: there is no mystery. It is a simple, but time
consuming process involving macerating herbs and spices with alcohol and then filtering and
bottling said maceration.

Looking through arcane tomes, and even the internet, one can find many recipes for bitters,
and these are a good starting point for making your own, but almost every recipe that I have
encountered has been flawed in one way, which I will reveal as we go on.

In theory, bitters are composed of three components: the bittering agent, the flavor and the
solution. When making my own bitters I always keep this formula in mind. Let’s go through
them.

THE BITTERING AGENT

This will be the ingredient that will make your bitters, well, bitter. Common ingredients are
gentian, quassia or even wormwood (famous as an ingredient in absinthe). These flora are
usually extremely bitter, and a little will go a long way.

THE FLAVOR
This is where you have your chance to show off your creativity. Simple bitters will have one
flavor, such as orange or peach or grapefruit. But the sky is the limit when it comes to bitters.
Want to add vanilla-cardamom? Go for it! Lemongrass and ginger? Why not? Xocolatl Mole?
Been done!

Obviously more ingredients will add more complexity to your bitters, just make sure that they
play together and remember, sometimes simple one and two flavor bitters are better.

THE SOLUTION
Most bitters are kept in alcohol, but you can make non-alcoholic bitters if you really wanted
(they will have a very short shelf life). I usually try to find the highest proof alcohol I can get
my hands on, as this seems to extract more flavor from my herbs and spices as well as give
the final product an indefinite shelf life (alcohol is a preservative after all). For lighter bitters
I may use a high-proof vodka or gin as my solution, while rum, whiskey and brandy are the
spirits that I look to when creating heavier, darker bitters.

Now, if you read most bitter recipes you will see that they have you throw all of the
ingredients in a jar and wait a period of time (anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of
months) after which you will filter and bottle your final product. Herein lay the problem with
almost every bitters recipe I’ve read: control.

Different ingredients will release their respective flavors at different speeds and so to
circumvent the probability of one ingredient’s flavor overpowering the batch, I give each
flavor profile its own vessel. For example, if I were to do a batch of simple orange bitters, I
would start with two jars of alcohol, one with gentian and the other with orange peel. After a
period of one week I would strain out the gentian, and after three weeks I would strain out the
orange peel. I would then slowly add the gentian mixture to the orange peel until the desired
level of bitterness was reached. It is with this blending technique that I can ensure that I will
never ruin a batch of bitters beyond repair, as an over powering flavors can be adjusted by
increasing the other flavor components of the batch.

As for filtering, I am a lazy man. When I first started making my bitters, I used coffee filters,
but as any of you who ever tried to do this knows, it is extremely time consuming and
laborious. I then switched over to a Büchner funnel with a hand vacuum, but even this can be
a little too much work for a slothful fellow of my nature. The solution? Water filters. You can
just throw them in the top and come back a couple of hours later with a beautifully filtered
finished product. Currently I am using a Pūr filtering system. Best money I’ve ever spent.

As most people who have tried my cherry bitters end up wanting a bottle for themselves, I’ve
decided to give you the recipe, so you can make them at home yourselves (if you have the
time and patience) and leave me the hell alone. (All I do is give and give…..)

CHERRY BITTERS
12 oz dried tart cherries
1 oz milk thistle
4 oz lemon peel
1 tablespoon black walnut leaf
1 tablespoon bitter blend (rose petal, burdock, milk thistle, dandelion, apple, barberry, fennel,
fringe tree)
1 tablespoon wormwood
2 teaspoons clove
4 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons vanilla

Place 4 oz of cherries in an empty 750mL bottle and fill with 101˚ bourbon
Repeat with the rest of the cherries (3 bottles in total)
Place the milk thistle and walnut leaf in an empty 750mL bottle and fill with 100˚ rye
Place lemon peel in an empty 750mL bottle and fill with 100˚ (or higher) vodka
Place bitter blend and wormwood in an empty 750mL bottle and fill with 100˚ rye
Place the remaining ingredients in an empty 750mL bottle and fill with 101˚ bourbon
Shake all ingredients daily

After one week strain out bitter blend bottle

After three weeks strain out all but cherry filled bottles
After four weeks strain out cherry filled bottles

Blend all liquids together to achieve desired flavor profile

Add 6 oz honey vodka (42 Below) (for added complexity)
Add 4 oz Amaro Nonino (for needed sweetness, texture and complexity. Caramelized sugar
would also do)

Taste again and make adjustments if necessary (perhaps sugar if too bitter)
if one flavor is too subtle, take the leftover solids that have been filtered and add water and
cook over heat to extract more flavor: add to mix until balanced

Filter the resulting bitters

Place bitters in shiraz-soaked French oak cask and age for two months
Extract bitters from barrel and filter again
Add two liters of water and stir
Bottle

Depending on your cherries your finished product may or may not have enough cherry flavor.
The first time I made my cherry bitters, this was the case. An easy fix that doesn’t entail you
having to wait for more cherries to infuse would be to add a couple of ounces of Cherry
Heering. Remember, there are no rules here, you are just trying to make a complex, flavorful
bitters that will work in cocktails. How you get there is your business.

As the cherry bitters recipe is quite complex, I’ll give you the recipe to a brand of bitters that
were probably more popular than even Angostura in Jerry Thomas’ day: Boker’s Bitters. (If
you’re reading Jerry’s book and see a reference for Bogart’s bitters, they are actually one and
the same. It’s a typo)

BOKER’S BITTERS (from Workshop Receipts, 1883)

1 ½ oz quassia
1 ½ oz calamus
1 ½ oz catechu (powdered)
1 oz cardamom
2 oz dried orange peel
Macerate for 10 days in 1 gallon strong whiskey, and then filter and add 2 gal. water.
Color with malva flowers.

UPDATE: After tasting an actual sample of the real deal (thanks Stephan) it came to my
attention that the original Boker’s were sweeter with a definite coffee aftertaste. To this end
I’ve decided to add 9 oz of Tia Maria (not Kahlua) to the batch in order make this replica
more exacting.

Just remember my rules for separating the ingredients (the cardamom is especially strong in
this and will probably be the first thing that I would strain out) and filtering and this is an
easy one to make.

Also, the amount of water called for is to make aperitif bitters, we’re trying to make cocktail
bitters, so let’s only add 12 oz of water.

Seeing as we don’t have the kind of whiskey as was called for in the 1800’s, I put the orange
peel in vodka (Everclear if you can get it) the cardamom and catechu in 151˚ rum and the rest
in 100˚ bourbon.

There you have it, you are now on your way to making an endless supply of bitters, limited
by only your imagination and palate. Let me know how yours turned out, and if you have
some extra, send it my way!

Pictures and Cherry Bitters recipe by:

Jamie Boudreau
Cocktail Whisperer
.

~ by Jamie Boudreau on April 22, 2008.

Posted in Bitters

19 Responses to “How To Make Bitters”

1. Brilliant post Jamie!

I assume that there are still secret in your bitters which you didn’t revealed…
But this is Ok, anyway you have to do the bitters after your own taste buds, haven’t
you?

Thank you very much for revelation of this Sangrail…

Dominik MJ - the opinionated alchemist said this on April 23, 2008 at 5:34 am

2. Sweet Martin Van Buren’s glorious sideburns! Do you know how awesome you are?
When I set about doing a (rather silly) bitters experiment I almost killed myself
searching the web for information on just what the hell is a good way to make one’s
own bitters. I finally got just enough advice from an acquaintance to feel like I had a
shot at not failing miserably, but still I would have killed for something like this back
then to know for sure I was on the right track.

Alex said this on April 23, 2008 at 9:58 am

3. So, by my measurement, the second recipe would result in a full gallon of Boker’s.
The first would result in a massive 7250 ml (just shy of 2 gallons) of delicious cherry
bitters. I buy Angostura in 10oz bottles and it lasts about a year. Good thing bitters
have a long shelf life!

But seriously, would just cutting down the measurements while keeping the
proportions result in approximately the same quality bitters, just less quantity? I
suppose the other option is to make the full batch and spread the love, eh?

Keef said this on April 23, 2008 at 10:19 am

4. I’m having a bit of dificulty in finding any bitters, maybe I’ll do my own. I’ll just
have to see if I’ll have better luck finding herbs.

João Boavida said this on April 23, 2008 at 10:27 am

5. Boudreau; love your work, I am very curious, being quite the amateur, just how much
of a noticeable effect do you get from using rye as opposed to say, using all bourbon
in the cherry bitters. Oh, and thank you, this post will be saved for future reference,
probably on the once though, 7 litres!

Brendan said this on April 23, 2008 at 5:07 pm

6. great post jamie. you just made my life harder! anyway, shoot me an email, as i can’t
seem to get yours to work right. that, or pop into union, preferably on a sunday, and
bring your lovely lady…

keith waldbauer said this on April 24, 2008 at 9:54 am

7. Great post, and right on time for a lot of people, I’m sure. My only quibble - I’m not
sure I would call macerating the ingredients together a ‘flaw’ in other’s recipes. Why
not adjust the contribution of different botanicals through the amount used, rather than
time? If one component dominates the flavor too much, just use less of it. I guess this
line of thinking ignores the possibility of over-extracting (like over-steeped tea
becoming tannic). Your method does give more control when creating a recipe, but
when following an established recipe (esp. one whose outcome I’ve never tasted) I
tend to stick to what it says.

sylvan said this on April 24, 2008 at 11:59 am

8. I’ve had it in my mind for a while to try making some root beer bitters, and this might
just be the kick in the pants I need to get started with that. I know Alembic down in
SF has bitters of that description, but I’ve never tried them. Off to the lab (er,
kitchen)!

Dayne said this on April 24, 2008 at 1:18 pm

9. Keef:
Sorry for the bulk quantities, but when I make a batch I usually have so many requests
for bottles that even those huge quantities only last me 6 months! If you make smaller
amounts I would probably (I’m just guessing as I haven’t actually tried this) use the
same amount of solids but cut down on the liquids. This should cut your maceration
time down considerably as the liquid has more solids ratio from which to extract
flavor. In other words, something that took me a month might only take two weeks for
you!

Brendan:
Using different spirits in bitters just adds to the complexity of said bitters.

Sylvan:
I consider macerating everything in one jar a “flaw” for the following reasons:
1) I find that my palate is substantially different from a lot of bitter and cocktail
recipes and therefore always find myself tweaking prescribed measurements.
2) One has no idea of the quality or specifics of ingredients from recipes that are over
100 years old. For instance, in my cherry recipe, when I say cinnamon, do you know
if I mean Chinese or Ceylon? When I say wormwood, do I mean fresh or dried? Is the
cardamom in the Boker’s the pod or seed? Is it toasted? So, you see that while a
recipe can give you a very good idea of how to prepare a batch of bitters, it might
very well be best to prepare each flavor profile in a separate container so as to ensure
 that you don’t spoil an entire batch with no chance of balancing out the final product
in retrospect.

Jamie Boudreau said this on April 28, 2008 at 12:23 pm

10. Wish I had read this years ago - having botched batches of bitters in the past (though I
attribute many of those to bad proportions or unfortunate ingredients). Sounds like a
tincture method - wherein the final product is a blend of differing quantities, no?

Oddly, the first post in my new blog is on a batch of bitters - though from this
perspective I suppose it’s flawed ; ) Next time I make them I’ll have to try your
method Mr. Boudreau - check it out as you like…

Chris said this on May 1, 2008 at 7:55 pm

11. This is a much better way to make bitters than i`ve used before, thanks!

Tiare said this on May 9, 2008 at 5:35 pm

12. Awesome post! One comment regarding filtration: I would personally be just a bit
concerned about the activated carbon in the Pur or Brita type systems robbing some of
the flavor/complexity. After all, the goal of these systems is to produce flavorless
water, not simply remove suspended particles.

Another option — which I’ve been using for various filtration needs — is an
AeroPress coffee maker (http://www.aerobie.com/Products/aeropress_story.htm). This
is basically a plastic cylinder with a filter at one end, and you use a plunger to force
the liquid through the filter, leaving the solids behind. So you get the same level of
filtration that a coffee filter provides, but you don’t have to wait forever and a day for
the liquid to soak through the paper. The whole process takes around 30 seconds to a
minute depending on the grain size of your solids (finer solids form a tighter filter
bed)… And no activated carbon means that you get all of the spicy goodness you
worked so hard to put into the liquor.

Adam said this on May 10, 2008 at 8:50 am

13. Yo, Jamie.

Great post. I’m doing a cranberry/rose petal in 190proof NGS and an absinthe bitters -
so thanks for the working directions - they’ll help.

Andrew

Andrew said this on June 2, 2008 at 7:05 pm

14. [...] Black Walnut Leaf, Birch Leaf and High Proof Rum (HPR). This is a
modification of a recipe from Jamie Boudreau. We used equal portions of each and
then filled with the [...]

How To Make Your Own Bitters : Drink Dogma said this on June 16, 2008 at 8:40 pm

15. [...] after an e-mail exchange with Avery of Bittermens, Jamie’s article, and of course,
Daniel and David’s Bitters Class, I decided to take another stab at it. The [...]

Falernum Bitters | Trader Tiki's Booze Blog said this on July 10, 2008 at 11:56 am

16. [...] have been reverse engineered by new modern bartenders (such as Robert Hess
and Abbotts bitters and Jamie Boudreau with Bokers) Angostura remains steeped in
mystery, as it’s a secret recipe. I did however make [...]

Peychaud’s, Angostura, Regan’s No. 5 and Why bitters matter, and recipes on how to make bitters. «
Caskstrength’s Weblog said this on November 10, 2008 at 5:23 pm

17. Perhaps a dumb question: how often are you re-using one Pür filter?

MrGrotto said this on January 28, 2009 at 4:35 pm

18. It depends upon what is being filtered and the volume. I can usually filter liters of
product before the filter dies. I also filter water in between flavours until the water
runs clear to ensure that the filter is “clean”. You’ll know when the filter no longer
works as the liquid won’t work its way through.

Jamie Boudreau said this on February 8, 2009 at 4:50 pm

19. Inspired by this post, I began making a batch of bitters this afternoon. I am working
up a bittering agent, which is composed of cassia, wormwood, calmus and black
walnut leaf (1 tbsp. of each) which is being macerated in one bottle of 100* rye… I’ll
leave it in there for about ten days, shaking a few times a day. The flavoring agent is
composed of toasted whole walnut (1 lb), cinnamon stick, whole nutmeg, and vanilla
bean (1 of each) which is being macerated in one bottle of 100* bourbon. Thinking
this will need to macerate for a bit longer (I am definitely testing it frequently to make
sure.) Provided there is enough left after my tastings, I am planning on using about
25% of the bittering agent to the whole bottle of walnut bourbon for a “toasted walnut
bitters.” At that point I’ll still have sufficient bittering agent leftover to make 3 more
alternative flavors.

Davicus said this on February 21, 2009 at 8:45 pm

How To Make Your Own Bitters -
http://drinkdogma.com/how-to-make-your-own-bitters-
for-cocktails/
June 2, 2008

I want to be like Antoine Peychaud. After finally

confronting the realization that I will never live up to the old “Be like Mike commercials”, I lived in a
world without a role model and guidance for several years. This void in my life, filled by a perilous
journey towards a purposeless end (Masters degree), eventually had to end. So, as of today, I want to
be like Antoine. And, no, nothing rhymes with Antoine or Peychaud, so this doesn’t have the same
catchy Jordan slogan characteristic – get over it. Man, I sound like some sort of bitter old man; I guess
that’s the point. This is a post about bitters after all.

I have long thought of bitters as the salt and pepper of cocktails. While a proportionally small
additive to any cocktail, bitters serve the vital role of balancing drink elements and heightening the
complexity of cocktails. Ten years ago finding any bitters aside from the traditional Angostura brand
was virtually impossible. Today, the bitters market has exploded with everything from Regan’s Orange
Bitters to the soon to be released Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters. These are all great options for the
cocktail enthusiast, but if you really want to go crazy, you have to start making your own bitters.

The are plenty of articles available online, many from other bloggers, describing how to make your
own bitters, but there really isn’t a source of possible basic bitters ingredients. Sure, you can find a
recipe calling for Fringe Tree Bark, but what the heck is that anyway? For the record, apparently, it is
a type of tree that grows in the Eastern US that when in bloom has beautiful white flowers.
Awesome! Let’s chop it down and put it in some bitters with a bunch of other stuff. (Blog loses
environmentalist-minded readers.)

The liquor components

All bitters start with a spirit base. When selecting liquor for this bitters project, we wanted to use
liquors that are easy to obtain, come at a low price point, and have a high proof. The high proof is the
most important part of the liquor selection, as it allows for a longer shelf life and may extract more
flavor during the infusion process. Due to the fact that you will never use more than a few drops of
the bitters in a cocktail you shouldn’t worry about the high proof throwing of the balance of a drink.
In our situation, we opted for three different high proof liquors:
Everclear: This pure grain favorite of frat boys all across the country is perfect for this bitters project.
It weighs in at a sensory overloading 190 proof, it doesn’t bring any flavors with it so it will work well
with the ingredients we want to stand out.

Gosling’s 151-Proof Black Seal Rum: We had a few options when it came to high proof rum, but we
made the call to go with the Gosling’s because we thought that it would add a depth of flavor that
you simply can’t get from other high proof rum. We’ll go for distinction any day.

Wild Turkey Rye: This might seem like an unlikely choice, with a lower proof, but we really wanted to
use the spiciness of a rye in combination with some of the earthy and bitter components we had at
our disposable. The choice to use the Turkey was easy; it is our go-to rye at the bar. Texas doesn’t
have the greatest of rye selections, so we are left with a very small amount of options. A few months
back we had a very informal, drunken rye tasting and the turkey came up on top; plus, you can’t beat
the price point.

The Herbal Components

This is where the list can get a little ridiculous, and it did. We put this list together based off of
recipes we found online, and things we thought would just be fun to try. One void we found with
many bitters recipes is that while some give good how to advice, none really explain what it is they
are using and why. We by no means think this list is all inclusive, as no list should be. But, we think
you could use this post as future resource for when you decide to make your own.

Let me preface this with the following statement, “We are not botanists, we do not know about
plants or herbs, but we do know how to use the internet, and our taste buds work, so if you are a
botanist or a herbologist (is that a word?) and you find any of these statements to be incorrect
please let us know and we will remedy the situation.” Actually, that whole chop the tree down
comment probably made all of those people leave by now; no real concern there. On to the herbs:
Wormwood: With the recent return of Absinthe to American shores, it seems as if everyone has
heard of this herb. Wormwood is a tall woody plant that grows well in dry sunny conditions. While
not related, fully grown wormwood plants look like hemp plants. Wormwood was often planted
around the edges of other fields because it does a good job of acting like a natural pesticide.

Birch Leaf: Birch leaf, just as the name suggests, is the leaf of a Birch tree. Birch leaf and Birch bark
are very traditional herbal medicines that are usually used in teas or paste to treat joint discomfort,
warts and lower urinary tract infections. The Birch leaf has a sweet nose and an earthy taste.

Dandelion Leaf and Bark: The Dandelion is a flowering plant that is native to Africa, Asia and Europe.
They are about 30 million years old and have been used by humans as a food source for all of
recorded history. The dried leaves have a spicy earthy nose; the taste is a mix of fresh soil and grass.
The root is chewy and sweet with hints of earthy soil. We use both the root and the leaf because
many of the recipes we found only called for dandelion and did not specify which part. If you use the
root be careful to not use too much, in its dry state it will soak up a large amount of liquid. So you
might lose a large portion of any liquor you mix with it.

Fringe Tree Bark: The fringe tree is a small flowering tree found in the Eastern United States from
Tennessee to Pennsylvania. It flowers in the late summer and looks like a cross between a Dogwood
and a Magnolia. The bark is the only part of the plant that was used if frontier medicine. It finds its
use in bitters because of the lightly bitter oils the bark contains. It is historically used in conjunction
with Barberry Root Bark.

Barberry Root Bark: Barberry has been called one of the best medical plants in North America. It was
first used by American Indians along the Eastern side of the country. It is used to increase the body’s
production of bile and thus help improve liver functions. The flavor is a light bitterness mixed with
sweet and spicy notes.

Milk Thistle Seed: As you might expect, Milk Thistle Seed comes from the Milk Thistle plant. The
seeds are used to help improve overall body functions because they contain high levels of
antioxidants. The seeds are small and black. They have almost no taste, but when infused you can get
elements of bitterness from them.

Burdock Root: Burdock is a thistle, which is native to Europe and parts of Asia. Burdock is related to
the Artichoke. Cynar anyone? When we talk about Burdock root, we are referring to the taproot of a
young burdock plant which can be eaten as a root vegetable. While the use of Burdock in European
cuisine has fallen out of popularity, it is still very popular in Asia. When fresh, Burdock is very crisp
and has a mild sweet yet pungent flavor. You can most easily find Burdock in its dry form; in this
state, it loses some of its crispness but the flavor remains with the addition of a more tannin
undertone. Dandelion and Burdock is a popular soft drink in the UK.

Black Walnut Leaf: The Black Walnut is native to Eastern American, with a range that stretches from
Ontario in the north, Florida in the south and as far west and Eastern Texas. Generally, the tree is
prized for its fruit (Walnuts) or its dark heartwood, which as a history of being poached from public
lands. One of the first recorded uses of Plant DNA testing was used to convict a poacher in East Texas.
The leaf is much cheaper to buy and you wouldn’t find yourself in jail for picking it. The oils found in
the leaves can be a dark dye that is hard to remove from cloths and hands.

Quassia Wood: This is where the bitter party really starts. Just chew on a piece and you will know
what I mean. It is a tree that is native to Jamaica; it is a natural insecticide and has sometimes been
used instead of hops when brewing beer. I would guess that we might see more of this as the price of
hops continues to rise in the US.

Lavender: Sounds like a strange ingredient to add to bitters; well it is. We’re not sure what the
lavender will do but you might find us using it as an aromatic additive. Lavender is an herb which
finds itself as a member of the mint family. The plant is native to Europe, Africa, India and the
Mediterranean. However, because it is a favorite among American gardeners for both is aroma and
natural insecticide properties, you might find it growing wild in the US as a local garden escapee.
Lavender has found uses as a part of salad dressing, marinades and garnishes. While the flower
petals are purple, they turn an eerie green when combined with high proof liquor.

Fennel Seed: Fennel is a special case. It is the only plant that is an herb, a vegetable and a spice. The
leaves are a common herb, the bulb is the vegetable and the seeds are the spice. What we’re not
forgetting one, are we? Of course the pollen, fennel pollen is one of those few spices that is worth
more than liquor, drugs or gold sometimes costing $35 an oz for the good stuff. We use the seed
because it is easy to store when dry and carries a lot of flavor.

Citrus: We use 3 types of citrus; lemons, oranges and grapefruits. If we talk about the zest we are
referring to the fine zest you get with the use of a micro plane. You use the zest when all you want in
the flavor of the oils from the skin. When we talk about peel we are referring to the thin outer peel.
Us your twist knife to get long strips that have the zest, the oils and just a little pith. We use the peel
when we want to introduce the bitterness that comes from the pith.

Apples: You can use whole dried apples. But we simply micro planes the skin off so that we good we
the flavor, color and bitterness without adding bulk or sugar.

Hibiscus Blossoms: Many classic bitters recipes call for the use of dried roses or some other edible
flower. Kevin had Hibiscus growing in the backyard so we decided to go with what we had. Hibiscuses
grow very well in warm temperate climates all over the world. The flowers are used in teas, as
medicines and even as a natural antidandruff shampoo. The bark contains strong fibers that are used
in wigs and grasses skirts.

Hops: I could write a book about hops, in fact people have so I will just direct you here for more
information.

The Spices

The spices we used were chosen for one of two reasons. First they are tradition bitters ingredients,
second we just really like them.

Cinnamon: This is pretty strait forward, or so you think. Cinnamon is the bark of a cinnamon tree
after it has been coppiced (the act of cutting the tree down very close to the ground after it is a few
years old, the next season many small shots will have grown on the stump). Ok, now this tree thing is
getting out of hand. For the record, we are pretty green people. Cinnamon has a history that is
closely tied to war and conquest. In the age before globalization, the spice of grown is only a few
places and the trade routes that crossed Europe and Asia were constantly in dispute. It was in fact a
disruption in the spice supply to Europe from Asia brought about by the rise of Mamluk Sultans and
the Ottoman Empire in the east that forced Europe to find alternate routes to Asia. While this history
is all about the cinnamon most conman spices share the same back story.

As the East India Trading Company was becoming powerful they found it easier to grown their own
spice instead of importing it. They also began looking for alternatives to spices such as cinnamon.
With the discovery of cassia the importation of True Cinnamon almost totally stopped. In fact in
American today if you buy ground Cinnamon what you are really getting is ground cassia. Cassia is
harder and strong smelling and tasting then True Cinnamon. In fact for this project we went with
whole Cassia that is labeled as cinnamon because it is easier to get and more familiar to the
American palate.

Coriander: Coriander seeds are those small round little things that look like smooth tan pepper
corns. But they are in reality the seeds of the Coriander plant better known to Americans as Cilantro.
Anise: A member of the holy trinity of Absinthe. The Chinese believe that as long as you have a
whole perfect star in your home your marriage will be a good one, god forbid the star breaking. Anise
is prized as both a garnish and a flavoring, adding a deep black liquorish taste.

Black Peppercorns: We like to use just a little fresh black peppercorns in most spice combinations
because they add an extra flavor dynamic.

Cloves: Cloves are a dried flower bud. The name comes from the French clou, a nail, because the bud
resembles a short nail. The cloves are picked late in the season when the green flowers have turned
red. Cloves are native to India, Pakistan and Madagascar.

Allspice: As children you might have thought, as we did, that allspice was a mix of several different
spices. Well if you did don’t be embarrassed the reason allspice has its name is that early European
explorers thought the same thing when they were first introduced to the Jamaican Peppercorn. They
believed that the ground powdered version was a mix of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg

Whole Green Cardamom: We like to use the whole pod because the bitter husk balances well with
the spicy seed. Cardamom is a member of the ginger family. We did not grind them as is the common
practice but simply lightly cracked them with a hammer.

Juniper Berries: We are very Gin-centric and really wanted to use a high proof gin, but because there
was not one available we decided to get some juniper and make a high proof infusion and create a
gin-like homemade spirit.

Cherry pits: This was a total after thought. We had just gotten done making the most recent batch of
bourbon cherries and had all of these pits left over. So we just let them dry and crushed them with a
hammer. They might or might not work, we’ll see.
What do we have in the jars?

Jar #1: Milk Thistle Seed, Black Walnut Leaf, Birch Leaf and High Proof Rum (HPR). This is a
modification of a recipe from Jamie Boudreau. We used equal portions of each and then filled with
the HPR.

Jar #2: Apple peal and Pure Grain Alcohol (PGA). The micro planed peels from 3 Washington Apples
and fill the pint jar with PGA.

Jar #3: Cinnamon Stick, Anise Star, Clove, Allspice, Vanilla, and PGA. Once again thanks Jamie.

Jar #4: Fringe Tree Bark, Burdock Root, Milk Thistle Seed, Dandelion Leaf/Root, Barberry Root Bark,
Fennel Seed, Wormwood and HPR. Sounded like a good idea.

Jar #5: Grapefruit zest and PGA. The fine zest of 2 large Grapefruits and filled with PGA. Started to
turn a pinkish yellow color.

Jar #6: Orange zest and PGA. The fine zest of 4 navel oranges and filled with PGA.

Jar #7: Juniper Berries, Dandelion Leaf/Root and Rye. We think the earthiness of the Dandelion will
work well with the spice of the rye and the pine treeiness of the Juniper.

Jar #8: Wormwood and HPR. The really bitter wormwood and the smooth rich rum should play well.
Jar #9: Juniper and PGA. We will use this to try and make a high proof gin of sorts. The thought is that
after the infusions is done with can add it to an 80 proof gin and get something in the ballpark of 130
proof without watering down the gin flavor.

Jar #10: Cherry Pits and Rye. This is a complete experiment we will keep you up dated.

Jar #11: Quassia and HPR. Same thought as Jar #8.

Jar #12: Star Anise, Wormwood, Fennel and Rye. Absinthe meets Rye Whisky.

Jar #13: Nugget Hops and Rye. This is the nastiest looking thing ever, it looks like dark green vomit
but it smells like a spicy hoppy IPA. So we have high hopes.

Jar #14: Cardamom, Peppercorn, Burdock, Allspice, Lavender, Cinnamon and HPR. This was Robert’s
home bitter combination.

Jar #15: Lemon Zest and PGA. The fine zest of 6 lemons and a fill of PGA.

Jar #16: Lavender and PGA

Jar #17: Coriander, Peppercorn, Vanilla, The peel of 2 navel Oranges, The peel of 3 lemons and Rye.
The best flavors of Kevin’s favorite Belgium beers and rye, yummy.

Jar #18: Hibiscus Petal and PGA.

We’ll keep you posted on how these turn out. When completed, we plan to blend various jars
together and tinker with tons of different recipes. We have been infusing the spirits for about two
weeks now, so we are around halfway there. We are also trying to track down a charred barrel so
that we can barrel age these bitters for even more complexity.

So, no unlike a classic Jordan baseline move, these bitters aren’t going to be quick and instantly
gratifying. This process takes time and dedication, but every great cocktail does. Until then, we will
just stick to the available brands, after all, we can still make a killer Manhattan and that’s certainly
enough to live off of.

This post was written by Robert Heugel and Kevin Floyd. You can try these bitters at our bar.

Written by Robert Heugel · Filed Under Bitters, Cocktails, Mixers

Comments

16 Responses to “How To Make Your Own Bitters”

1. wynk on June 2nd, 2008 6:05 pm

In your followup to this, could you touch briefly on how best to store these (and for
how long they can be stored) once they’re ready to use?
2. Alex on June 2nd, 2008 8:23 pm

So. Very. Awesome.

When I decided to start messing around with bitters I spent what seemed like an
eternity trying to find just this kind of information.

In regards to the Wormwood and HPR — What ratio of Wormwood to HPR did you
use? I’m making a Wormwood tincture to try and save an experiment I f’ed up, but
the paranoid side of me doesn’t want to accidentally create a homebrewed neurotoxin
(even though I know that would be pretty hard to do).

3. Bill on June 3rd, 2008 4:29 pm

If you’re looking for a source for a lot of these ingredients, The Herb Bar in Austin
has gentian, quassia, etc. in smaller quantities then here.

4. Tiare on June 3rd, 2008 9:50 pm

Thank you! this is the sort of info i needed!

5. Robert Heugel on June 4th, 2008 6:37 am

Wynk - will do for sure. We should be working on this post sometime next week, so
stay tuned.

Alex - To be honest, we didn’t really spend much time thinking about any effects of
wormwood. We don’t think it is going to b that big of an issue and are going to only
use it in the smallest of amounts. If the blog stops updating at any point, I guess
you’ve got your answer.

Bill - What? A fellow Texan making their own bitters? I checked out FINO’s site and
definitely need to make a trip to Austin to visit at some point. I will definitely have to
make a trip to The Herb Bar as well, but I think I am coming to Austin for a better
reason.

Tiare - Let me know how yours turn out.

6. Tiare on June 6th, 2008 1:18 am

“For the record, apparently, it is a type of tree that grows in the Eastern US that when
in bloom has beautiful white flowers. Awesome! Let’s chop it down and put it in some
bitters with a bunch of other stuff. (Blog loses environmentalist-minded readers.)”

Wow..its a lucky thing i`ve been a florist…:-))

7. Sylvan on June 19th, 2008 5:38 pm

Great post, although I would have included gentian root and cinchona (quinine) bark
in the list, and maybe Angostura bark. Orange peel is also a common ingredient.
 I do have a minor quibble: the ‘holy trinity of Absinthe’ is anise seed, fennel seed and
wormwood. Star anise is sometimes used as a minor ingredient, but is frowned upon
by some purists.

8. Mark. on June 28th, 2008 11:28 pm

I’m experimenting with making bitters. Myrrh resin in 151 rum makes a powerfully
bitter stuff, but adding it to water makes the mixture cloudy: something water-
insoluble there? Online research says definitely so: there are water-soluble and
alcohol-soluble components, with the bitterness mostly or all in the alcohol-solube
part. Considering a Gifts of the Magi bitters with myrrh and frankincense (but
probably not tiny flakes of gold). Ordered various things to experiment with, such as
(of course) gentian root, calamus root, quassia wood chips, wild-cherry bark, hyssop,
wormwood, and cubeb (relative of black pepper, with a bitter note to it), apart from
conventional things like cinnamon and cloves. Thinking about mugwort, tonka beans
(despite the expense and the presence of coumarin, which calamus also has, I think),
horehound, catechu/cutch (expensive and not easy to find), angostura bark (no cheap
source I can find), possibly kola nut. I hope that I can come up with something
interesting that I enjoy before blowing a fortune on botanicals and Cruzan 151…

9. Matt on June 29th, 2008 12:20 am

There are two different plants called “anise,” and your article seems to be confusing
them - there’s European anise, and Asian star anise. They taste very similar, but they
are unrelated.

European anise is the one that’s traditionally used in absinthe and most anise-
flavoured liqueurs. It grows in a bush.

Chinese star anise is a traditional spice in East Asian cooking; it’s part of the “five-
spice” seasoning. It grows on a tree in star-shaped pods. (There is also a Japanese star
anise, which is planted as a decorative tree, but its seeds are poisonous.) Chinese star
anise is also used as a substitute for European anise, including in some liqueurs,
because it’s cheaper.

Star anise was in the news a few years ago because at the time it was the commercial
source of a chemical used in making the drug Tamiflu - and people were concerned
that in a flu epidemic there wouldn’t be enough star anise to make enough drugs to
treat sick people; 90% of the star anise harvest was already being used for that
purpose. That’s no longer an issue because they came up with other ways to make
Tamiflu without star anise.

10. Robert Heugel on June 30th, 2008 6:19 am

Mark - Very interesting stuff. Please, if you don’t mind tell us about your experiments
with each of the listed ingredients so that we can accumulate a better list here. I think
you’ve got some great stuff working. By the way, where did you find your Angostura
bark source? It can be expensive to obtain. If nothing else, your results might save
someone like me time (and money) if you keep us posted.
 Matt - It seems you are picking up on the same thing Sylvan pointed out earlier. We
apparently, did know there were two types of anise, though that does seem to coincide
with my understanding of absinthe better. Thanks for pointing this out in such detail.
By the way, I think I am catching a cold; time to find the Tamiflu I guess.

11. BAStewart on July 14th, 2008 1:52 am

I have searched extensively on bitters, and how to make a worthy replica of the
Angostura stuff, or at the very least, a substance nostalgic of Angostura and this post
has been the most helpful.

I also have searched extensively on wormwood and its taste. So far all sources explain
everything about wormwood except its taste.

Please, can someone post on what wormwood taste like?

Or at least what its role plays in infusions/emulsions especially, in bitters?
(i.e. does it have its own taste but like pepper, display versatile capabilities in
flavoring ?)

12. San Francisco Treats : Drink Dogma on August 4th, 2008 7:00 am

[...] are truly an awesome drink spot. Having made our own infusions in the past and
understanding how labor intensive it can be to strain an infusion for purpose of clarity,
an ingredient in one of their ‘new [...]

13. Morgan on August 19th, 2008 7:25 pm

On its own, wormwood might be one of the most disgusting and bitter tinctures
imaginable. I just got finished making a lavender/vanilla bitters in which I used
wormwood as one of the bittering agents–along with quassia and hops. Obviously, it
lent bitterness, but it also added some complexity. All that to say, by itself, it is a
horrid, horrid flavor.

14. BAStewart on October 2nd, 2008 9:58 pm

(Thanks Morgan).

15. mayra on January 23rd, 2009 4:20 pm

so was there ever a new post on this article as to let us know what seemed to work
out? i would really like to find out about the results i am just starting to experiment
with all this and would like to find out which of these mixes worked out.

16. Robert Heugel on January 23rd, 2009 10:52 pm

Mayra, sorry about the lack of the update there. Good call; we will get around to it at
some point. Everything worked fine. Make sure to make the individual tinctures and
blend them to your own liking. Let us know how it goes.
Peychaud’s, Angostura, Regan’s No. 5 and Why bitters
matter, and recipes on how to make bitters.
http://caskstrength.wordpress.com/2008/11/11/peychaud
%E2%80%99s-angostura-regan%E2%80%99s-no-5-and-
why-bitters-matter-and-recipes-on-how-to-make-bitters/

My home bitters shelf

You aren’t a bar unless you have bitters. That’s a like a kitchen without spices or sex with
only that missionary position. Bitters are to cocktails what fire is to steak, but even more so.
Steak tar tar is delicious but technically, a cocktail is a spirit with bitters. To have a bar, you
need Angostura, second are Peychaud’s, and third are orange bitters. After you see what those
do for you cocktails, you’ll likely go batshit crazy collecting them like any bartender, then,
you’re going to start making them. Before we go any further with bitters there are a three
very important things to understand.

1. Bitters aren’t necessarily bitter and frequently they add sweetness to a cocktail. “But why
are the called bitter?” good question reader, the etymology of “bitters” comes from “small
concentrated drink.” Which brings up part 2

2. There are basically 2 types of bitters, this is more an FDA definition but I will list
exceptions later. They are potable and non potable bitters. The easiest way to explain that is
there are bitters that are generally low proof and meant to be drank as aperitifs or digestifs.
And non potable bitters, these are meant as food or drink additives, and not intended to be
drank alone, it could cause injury to your face. This is the one we’ll be focusing on.

3. Bitters also have two brothers named tinctures and essences. While bitters are concentrated
mixtures, tinctures are high proof alcohol infused with a single flavor. The easiest way to
make bitters is by mixing tinctures. An essence is one of to things, either the direct extract or
the distillation of a single thing. Rose flower water, orange flower water or vanilla extract are
the most common, but I have a prize in my collection that is the essence of Thai water beetle.
I’ve also tasted some amazing wood (sandal wood, pine) distillations.
Angostura is paramount, dive bars have angostura, and your mom has angostura. Seriously,
look in the pantry at your mom’s house, its there. Angostura is the most common bitters, you
could say, they won the bitters’ war. Over a hundred years ago there were over a hundred
commonly found bitters on the market. Though several have been reverse engineered by new
modern bartenders (such as Robert Hess and Abbotts bitters and Jamie Boudreau with
Bokers) Angostura remains steeped in mystery, as it’s a secret recipe. I did however make the
recipe listed in Charles Baker’s The Gentleman’s Companion. It’s pretty accurate, so much so
that when I made it I found that I had basically a lifetime supply. That recipe will be listed
bellow. The real Angostura that was invented in 1820, by Dr Johan Gottlieb Benjamin
Siegert. It was invented to be used as a tonic to help the tummy. And it still does that for me
today when I work long shifts in the summer heat and need to drink a lot of water with out
hurting my tummy. That is the closest I’ve ever come to fighting off malaria and fighting for
independence in 1821, in Venezuela (Angostura’s original purpose). Angostura tastes of
cinchona, ginger cinnamon and cloves. I have been told that the over sized label was a
mistake that was never fixed and later became tradition.

Angostura

Angostura’s has stayed an essential behind the bar for “bar ginger” and the Manhattan. Bar
ginger, is basically Sprite and Angostura; you can spice it up with a little muddled ginger,
coke and fresh lime. The Manhattan is pretty much the best drink, and I’m going to take a
minute to set two huge myths straight. Bitters don’t make a Manhattan bitter; Angostura adds
spice and takes off the sweet edge of vermouth. Vermouth is nothing to fear either; a good
Manhattan is 1/3 Vermouth. When a Manhattan tastes bitter, it’s because of the lack of
vermouth. The water from the dilution masks the sweet notes in bourbon and rye. The higher
proof, generally the less sweet. An exception is the sentence I hear the most “I’ll have a
Maker’s Manhattan, not too sweet.” Well then DON’T FUCKING ORDER MAKER’S!
Understand when you say that you have become a brand whore. Outside of McCormick or
Old Crow, Makers is a sweet bourbon. If you don’t want a sweet Manhattan, order a
Manhattan with a dryer bourbon. Sorry about the rant, I just want you to get what you like.
Angostura also stains clothes like nothing else can, makes you tummy feel better when drank
with water or soda and cures the hiccups. Put 2 dashes on a lemon bite down, 90% of the time
it works every time. This is really important because all credibility is lost when you hiccup
during conversation.
Peychaud

Peychaud’s remains in bars because of the Sazerac, though the Sazerac is becoming a staple
cocktail again, Peychaud’s still remains under used. And though others may be older,
Peychaud’s was likely the one of the first bitters to be sold commercially, and internationally
in 1840. Antoine Paychaud Senior invented it though Jr made it famous and the necessary
ingredient for the Sazerac Coffeehouse’s signature cocktail: the Sazerac. Like many early
medicines, Peychaud’s was mixed with brandy as a stomach tonics. And perhaps similar to
any medicine, it treats symptoms just as much as anything. Peychaud’s is very complex, it
lightly tastes of vanilla an nuts, there is a light anise flavor. Its bright red color adds fun to
and cocktail, especially clear cocktails. Anytime you learn a classic like the Sazerac, try to
learn another drink that time Forgot like the Incognito, recipe below.

Regan

Orange bitters are the bitters of the original martini, assuming the original martini was the
Martinez. I use Gary Regan’s Orange bitters. Gary doesn’t care if you know the recipe to his
bitters, he puts them in his book: The Joy of Mixology.” But frankly, I like having a photo of
that crazy beard on a bottle behind my bar. Orange bitters are very subtle, as such; I sneak
them into drinks all the time, Lemondrops, Manhattans or Vespers.

While I try not to write too much about just me, when my interest in bitters spiked, I decided
to start making my own. You’ll find most recipes require over a month and a great deal of
preparation, for example Artofdrink.com has an excellent page listing standard bitters recipes,
as does the back of David Wondrich’s Imbibe! If you are interested in making your own
bitters the main advice I’d give you is to team up with others. Over the summer, I invited 15
other bartenders to all make their own bitters and exchange them at what I called the “Bitter
Meeting.” This is a great way to get more bitters and learn more about making bitters without
spending years practicing and having more than you’ll ever need. This is a sewing circle for
bartenders, but lets face it, making your own bitters is the core of cocktail nerd times. As for
filtering, I do the chinois strainer then put bitters through a Britta filter. If you are in Seattle, I
recommend Tenzing MoMo in Pike’s Market to pick up anything you need to make bitters.
Where to put them? Try specialty bottle.com . I’d recommend getting all of the bitters you
can buy, and then trying to make everything you can’t buy. The reigning king of bitters and
tinctures right now is the Tear Drop Lounge in Portland Oregon. They have over 50 different
bitters and tinctures on the bar.

The Peach Monster-Phil Ward of Death and Company

2 oz Oban 14 Single Malt
.75 oz St Germain
4 Dashes Peychaud’s
Stir and strain

Incognito- Invented by J. E. Johnson

1oz brandy
2oz Lillet
.5oz apricot brandy
1 dash Peychaud’s bitters
Stir and strain

Sazerac
Rise rocks glass with absinthe
1.5 ounce rye whiskey
.25 simple syrup
2 dashes Peychaud’s
Stir and strain twist of lemon

The Martinez Cocktail Variation

1.5 oz gin
1 oz dry vermouth
1/4 oz maraschino liqueur
1 dash orange bitters
Stir and strain

And one from me:

SPF 10 (a mocktail)-Andrew Bohrer
6oz Aloe
2oz lime
1oz orange
4 dashes Peychaud’s
Build over ice in a Collins glass

Bitter Recipes: FYI a drachm is 1/8 of an ounce or 60 grains

Angostura
Cinchona bark, 8 drachms
Orange peel 2 drachms
Lemon peel 2 drachms
Cardamom seeds, crushed 1/2 drachm
Chaomile flowers, 2 drachms
Bark cinnamon, 1/2 drachm
Raisins 1/4 lb.
Best grain alcohol 2 qts
Best grain alcohol 2 qts

Instructions:
All ingredients must be ground or pounded fine except the raisins, and these are first chopped
fine, and then mixed thoroughly with everything else. Seal tightly in a 2 qt jar and pour
enough of the finest grain alcohol obtainable, to fill-, which will be a scant 2 qts. Let stand at
an even, fairly warm temperature for 6 weeks, stirring or shaking vigorously twice every day.
Strain, then strain through a cloth; pressing at the last to extract essentials from the sediment.
Stir and strain once more, and bottle for use. Andrew’s notes, I also tried using Tokay wine
instead of Raisins, I liked the texture more, I also used a rum base. When I finished and I
found the recipe too close to Angostura, I added, orange, lemon, beets, smoked tea, lavender
and hibiscus.

Gary Regan’s Orange Bitters No. 5

8 oz Dried Orange Peel

.5 tsp Caraway Seeds
1 tsp Cardamom Seeds
1 tsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Quassia Chips
1.5 tsp Powdered Cinchona Bark
1/4tsp Gentian
2 Cups Grain Alcohol
4.5 Cups Water

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

Instructions:
1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large jar with alcohol and cup water
2. Ensure all of the dry ingredients are covered by the liquid
3. Shake the jar vigorously once a day for fourteen days
4. Strain the alcohol from the dry ingredients through a cheesecloth
5. Squeeze the cheese cloth tightly to extract as much alcohol as possible
6. Place the dry ingredients in a strong bowl or mortar
7. Reserve the alcohol in a clean mason jar and seal tightly
8. Muddle the dry ingredients with a pestle the seeds are broken.
9. Place the dry ingredients in a nonreactive saucepan and cover with 3 cups of water.
10. Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat, cover, turn the heat down, and simmer for 10
minutes.
11. Allow to cool, still covered (about 1 hour).
12 Return the dry ingredients and water to the jar with the alcohol and seal
13. Leave for seven days, shaking vigorously once a day.
14. Strain the water from the dry ingredients through a cheesecloth.
15. Discard the dry ingredients and add the water to the alcohol.
16. Put sugar saucepan and place over a medium-high heat.
17. Stir constantly until the sugar becomes liquid and turns dark brown
18. Remove from heat and allow to cool for two minutes
19. Pour the sugar into the alcohol-and-water mixture
20. At this point the sugar may solidify, but it will quickly dissolve
21. Allow the mixture to stand for seven days.
22. Skim off any bits that float to the surface and carefully decant the clear liquid to separate
it from any sediment resting on the bottom
23. Measure the bitters; there should be about 12 fluid ounces
24. Add 6 ounces of water, and shake thoroughly
25. Pour the bitters into a bitters bottle. Store for up to twelve months

~ by caskstrength on 11/11/2008.

Posted in Gin, bitters, brandy, lillet, maraschino, recipes, scotch

SITE DA PLAY BOY

http://www.playboy.com/blog/2007/08/bitter-medicine.html

A reader asks in the September issue if we know of a good source for the Abbott’s bitters,
which haven’t been produced since the 1940s. We don’t, but this is a particular obsession of
Robert Hess of DrinkBoy.com. He’s been hard at work with a chemist friend attempting to
reverse-engineer the Abbott’s recipe from a rare surviving bottle. In the meantime, we wanted
to share Hess’ recipe for house bitters. (It also appears in the May/June issue of Imbibe,
which is one of those magazines you're happy to discover exists.)

Hess' House Bitters

750 ml (1 bottle) rye whiskey
2 tsp dried gentian
1/2 cup fresh ginger (julienned)
2 Tbs whole cloves
2 1/2 Tbs cardamom pods (cracked)
7 whole star anis
7 sticks cinnamon
3 cups water
1 cup sugar

1. Combine all ingredients except for the water and sugar in a large jar and store for two
weeks, shaking the jar each day.
2. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth. Save both solids and liquid.
3. Add solids to the water in a saucepan.
4. Bring to a boil, and simmer for half an hour.
5. Strain the mixture and save the water (you can throw out the solids).
6. Put the sugar into a dry Teflon skillet. On a medium heat, gently heat
the sugar until it just melts. It will turn brown, and get just slightly
burnt.
7. Allow the sugar to cool to almost room temperature, or until it is safe
to handle.
8. Remove the sugar form the skillet and place into a saucepan with the
water.
9. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until the sugar is dissolved.
10. Allow to cool completely, and then add the alcohol mixture.
11. Bottle for storage.
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