An Elixir for

All that’s
Bland.
A necessity for countless cocktails,
Aromatic Bitters are a classic flavor
enhancer. The secret ingredient, working
behind the scenes to make our favorite
libations sing. At one time, they were
thought to have mystical curative powers.
Now, they cure our drinks. And we’re more
than content with that.

If you’re new to the world of bitters, check

out our Bitters Basics. You may find it
helpful as you navigate through the recipe
below. It seems like a lot of ingredients and
steps, but the recipe itself is surprisingly
simple and the end result is well worth the
wait.

PREPARATION:

We’ll be using a fair amount of ingredients and,

ultimately, combining two separate infusions. To help us
keep them straight, we’ll call one jar the bittering jar and
one the aromatics jar. Keeping these jars separate for now
will give us greater control over the flavor of the finished
product.
 Ingredients: Gentian root, burdock root, orange zest, cinnamon sticks,
allspice berries, cloves, star anise, ginger and Everclear®.

For the bittering jar, you’ll need 2 tablespoons of chopped

gentian root and 2 tablespoons of chopped burdock root.

For the aromatics jar, you’ll need an orange, 2 cinnamon

sticks, 15 whole allspice berries, 10 whole cloves, 3 whole
star anise and fresh ginger root.

We’ll be using Everclear® to extract the flavors from both

jars. About 3 cups should cover both.
 Chopping ginger.

First step is to roughly chop a 2-inch nub of unpeeled

ginger root. There’s no right or wrong way to chop, the
purpose is to increase the ginger’s surface area and
strengthen the flavor in the infusion. Once chopped,
place into a pint-sized mason jar.
 Peel zest from orange. Remove pith.

Using a vegetable peeler, carefully peel the zest from an

orange in a long spiral, and remove its pith by scraping it
away with a sharp knife. Once the pith is removed, place
the zest in the jar along with the ginger.

Bittering (left) and aromatics (right) jars.

Add the cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, cloves and star
anise. This will be your aromatics jar.

In another 12 oz. mason jar, combine the gentian root

and burdock root. This will be your bittering jar.

STEEP:

Add Everclear®. Steep for 3 weeks.

Fill both jars up to the 12 oz. line with Everclear®. Seal

tightly and steep for 3 weeks (or to taste) in a cool, dry
place away from sunlight. Shake at least every other day
during the steep time.
 Strain liquid through strainer and coffee filter.

FINAL STEPS:

Once both jars are infused to your liking, it’s time to

strain. Using a mesh strainer and coffee filters, strain each
jar into separate, clean jars.
 Taste test: Test ratios in small quantities.

Now that you have your strained liquids, you need to find
the right ratio of aromatics to bitters. The bittering agents
can quickly overpower, so combining them all at once can
spoil the entire batch. We recommend combing in small
quantities to find your preferred ratio. Start by
combining a ½ teaspoon from each jar in a small
container, taste, and go from there. Three or four parts
aromatics to one part bitter is about right. But feel free to
alter that ratio to taste, and keep in mind that the mixture
can be sweetened with simple syrup.
 Combine liquids in desired ratio.

Once you find your preferred ratio, measure the liquid in

your aromatics jar, and add the requisite amount of liquid
from your bitters jar.

You’ll probably use your entire aromatics jar and only part
of the liquid from your bitters jar. The remaining liquid
in the bitters jar can be saved for a future batch.
 Optional: Add brown sugar simple syrup to taste.

If added sweetness is desired, make brown sugar simple

syrup by combining one part brown sugar and one part
water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir
continuously until sugar is fully dissolved. Cool to room
temperature, and add brown sugar simple syrup to your
bitters to taste. It doesn’t take much, and it’s best to start
slow to avoid ruining the batch you’ve worked so hard to
create. Try a teaspoon at a time.
 Store in small bottles.

Finally, your Aromatic Bitters are done. Funnel them into

bitters bottles. We prefer bottles that have either a
dropper or dasher top. Store in a cool, dry place out of
direct sunlight. Maybe you should enjoy a nice Manhattan
or Old Fashioned and reward yourself for a job well done.
AROMATIC BITTERS

Ingredients:
Bittering Jar
2 tablespoons gentian root
2 tablespoons burdock root
1 ½ cups Everclear® (approx.)

Aromatic Jar
1 orange zest
2 cinnamon sticks
15 whole allspice berries
10 whole cloves
3 whole star anise
1 ½ oz. freshly chopped ginger (about a 2” nub)
1 ½ cups Everclear® (approx.)

Brown sugar simple syrup

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water

Instructions:
Bittering Jar:
1. Put chopped gentian root and burdock root in a pint-
sized mason jar.
2. Fill to the 12 oz. line with Everclear®. Seal and store in
a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Shake once
daily.
Aromatic Jar:
1. Roughly chop ginger root.
2. Peel zest from a freshly washed orange and remove the
pith.
3. Combine ginger root, orange zest, cinnamon sticks,
allspice berries, cloves and star anise in pint-sized
mason jar.
4. Fill to the 12 oz. mark with Everclear®. Store in a cool,
dry place away from direct sunlight. Shake once daily.
Brown Sugar Simple Syrup:
1. Combine brown sugar and water in small sauce pan.
Bring to boil, stirring continuously until sugar is
dissolved.
Mixing:
1. After steeping both jars for 3 weeks, strain into
separate, clean jars using a mesh strainer and a coffee
filter.
2. Mix 4 parts flavoring agent to 1 part bittering agent (or
to taste)
3. Add brown sugar simple syrup to taste
4. Bottle, store in a cool, dry place, and enjoy.

Caution: Do not apply to open flame. Keep

away from fire, heat and open flame. Contents
may ignite or explode. Do not consume in
excessive quantities. Not intended for
consumption unless mixed with non-alcoholic
beverage.

Please visit Responsibility.org for information and resources

on how to fight drunk driving and stop underage drinking.
PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY. ©2020 Everclear®, 75.5%
Alc./Vol. (151 proof). Bottled by Luxco, Inc., St. Louis, MO