Poring through old cocktail books, we noted that every reputable bar had a house recipe for bitters. Originally we played with infusing bitter herbs and spices in absinthe but found the task too time-consuming and the results too inconsistent. We settled instead on a blend of different absinthes, Green Chartreuse, and bitters to create just the right balance of anise and bitterness.
Ingredients
makes 1 quart
Step 1
Combine all the ingredients in a liter bottle using a funnel. Cover or cork the bottle and gently turn it upside down three times to blend thoroughly. Store at room temperature. Will keep indefinitely.
bitters
Step 2
Bitters do for a cocktail what pepper and bay leaves do for soup. Over the last few decades, bitters have not been a required ingredient in every cocktail; this does not mean they are reserved only for the cocktails of bygone eras. Bitters add depth, complexity, and a certain spark to cocktails. Once created for medicinal purposes, bitters are made by macerating bitter herbs and spices in high-proof spirits. They quickly found their way into cocktails, mainly to enhance the flavors of the rough rums and whiskeys of the past, making the spirits palatable in the form of a cocktail. Most bitters contain alcohol, and many of them are over 90 proof. In the old days of saloons and taverns, the barkeepers used to make their own bitters and guarded their recipes like gold. Today there are more styles of bitters on the market than ever, and bars are returning to the tradition of blending their own proprietary bitters.
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