Abitters is traditionally analcoholic preparation flavored with botanical matter for abitter or bittersweet flavor. Originally, numerous longstanding brands of bitters were developed aspatent medicines, but lately are sold asdigestifs, sometimes withherbal properties, and ascocktail flavorings.
Since cocktails often contain sour and sweet flavors, bitters are used to engage anotherprimary taste and thereby balance out the drink and make it more complex, giving it a more complete flavor profile.[1]
The botanical ingredients used historically in preparing bitters have consisted of aromatic herbs, bark, roots, and/or fruit for their flavor and medicinal properties. Some of the more common ingredients arecascarilla,cassia (Chinese cinnamon),gentian,orange peel, andcinchona bark.
Most bitters contain both water andalcohol, the latter of which functions as asolvent for botanical extracts as well as a preservative. The alcoholic strength of bitters varies widely across brands and styles. Some modern bitters are made with vegetableglycerin[2] instead, allowing those avoiding alcohol to enjoy them.
The origins of bitters go back to the ancient Egyptians, who may have infused medicinal herbs in jars of wine.[3] This practice was further developed during theMiddle Ages, when the availability of distilled alcohol coincided with a renaissance inpharmacognosy,[4] which made possible more-concentrated herbal bitters and tonic preparations. Many of the brands and styles of digestive bitters reflect herbalstomachic and tonic preparations whose roots are claimed to be traceable back toRenaissance era pharmacopoeia and traditions.
By the nineteenth century, the British practice of adding herbal bitters (used as preventive medicines) toCanary wine had become immensely popular in the former American colonies.[5] By 1806, American publications referenced the popularity of a new preparation, termedcocktail, which was described as a combination of "a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters".[6]
Of the commercial aromatic bitters that would emerge from this period, perhaps the best known isAngostura bitters. In spite of its name, the preparation contains no medicinal bark from theangostura tree; instead, it is named after the town of Angostura, laterCiudad Bolívar, in Venezuela. Eventually the factory was moved from Bolivar toPort of Spain, Trinidad in 1875. German physicianJohann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert [de] had compounded a cure forsea sickness and stomach maladies, among other medicinal uses.[7] Siegert subsequently formed theHouse of Angostura to sell the bitters to sailors.
Another renowned aromatic bitters with nineteenth-century roots isPeychaud's Bitters, originally developed by apothecaryAntoine Amédée Peychaud inNew Orleans, Louisiana. It is most commonly associated with theSazerac cocktail.
A popular style of bitters that emerged from the period isorange bitters, the flavor of which ranges from dryly aromatic to fruity, and which is commonly made from the rinds ofSeville oranges and spices. Orange bitters are often called for in older cocktail recipes. An early recipe for such bitters is inThe English and Australian Cookery Book:[8] "Make your own bitters as follows, and we can vouch for their superiority. One ounce and a half of gentian-root, one ounce and a half of lemon-peel, one ounce and a half of orange-peel. Steep these ingredients for about a month in a quart of sherry, and then strain and bottle for use. Bitters are a fine stomachic, but they must be used with caution."
Bitters prepared from the tree bark containing the antimalarialquinine occasionally were included in historical cocktail recipes. It masked the medicine's intensely bitter flavor. Trace quantities of quinine are still included as a flavoring intonic water, which is used mostly in drinks withgin.[9]
Pioneering mixologistJerry Thomas influenced the popularity of bitters in the United States when he releasedHow to Mix Drinks or The Bon-Vivant's Companion in 1862.[10][11]
Digestive bitters are typically consumed in many European and South American countries eitherneat oron the rocks at the end of a meal. Many, including popular Italian-styleamaros and German-styleKräuterlikörs, are often used in cocktails as well.
Some notable examples of modern digestive bitters include:
Cocktail bitters are used for flavoring cocktails in drops or dashes. In the United States, many cocktail bitters are classified as alcoholic non-beverage products (non-beverage meaning not consumed like a typical beverage). As alcoholic non-beverage products, they are often available from retailers who do not sell liquor, such as supermarkets in many US states.
Some notable examples of cocktail bitters include:[12]
Media related toBitters at Wikimedia Commons
