- Bitters
A bitters is an alcoholic beverage prepared with
herbs andcitrus dissolved inalcohol orglycerine and having a bitter or bittersweetflavor . There are numerous brands of bitters, which were formerly marketed aspatent medicine s but are now drunk asdigestif s.Bitters are principally used as
digestif s and as flavorings incocktail s. While bitters commonly have an alcoholic strength of up to 45%, they are normally consumed in small amounts, added as a flavoring agent (similar to vanilla flavoring which is also dissolved in alcohol.) In theUnited Kingdom angostura bitters are not classified as alcoholic beverages due to their bitter taste and can be bought by a person of any age.Common ingredients in bitters include: angostura bark,
cascarilla ,cassia ,gentian ,orange peel , andquinine . The flavor of bothAngostura bitters andPeychaud's Bitters derives primarily fromgentian , a bitter herb. Bitters are prepared by infusion or distillation, utilizing aromatic herbs, bark, roots, and/or fruit for their flavor and medicinal properties.Christopher Hobbs LAc, AHG author of "Foundations of Health" lists angelica root (A. archangelica), artichoke leaf (Cynara scolymus), bitter orange peel (Citrus aurantium), blessed thistle leaves (Cnicus bendicutus), gentian root (Gentiana lutea), goldenseal rhizome (Hydrastis canadensis), wormwood leaves (Artemisia absinthium) and yarrow flowers (Achillea millefolium) as typical contents of bitters formulas.
Angostura bitters was first compounded in
Venezuela in 1824 by a German physician, who intended it as a remedy forstomach maladies. It was exported toEngland and toTrinidad , where it came to be used in a number of cocktails, following its medicinal use by the British Royal Navy inPink Gin . Angostura and similar gentian bitters can be of some value for settling a mild case ofnausea . It is used to stimulate the appetite, either for food or for cocktails. Used in bothapéritif s anddigestif s, it will settle one's stomach before a meal or before a night of drinking.Fact|date=August 2007Angostura bitters was named after the town of Angostura in Venezuela. It contains no angostura bark, a medicinal bark which is named after the same town.
Used as the "starter" ingredient in a Pink Gin, where a splash (or two) of Angostura Bitters is swirled around the inner surface of a tumbler before adding a generous measure of London Gin. The resulting drink is so named from the colour imparted by the Bitters. In addition to the options of drinking a Pink straight, it may also be consumed with a little water, still or sparkling. Real connoisseurs of the Pink Gin even have preference for drinking it "in" or "out" - referring to whether the remaining dribble of Bitters (after the glass has been "pinked") is left in or poured away, before the Gin is added.Fact|date=August 2007
A large tumbler, similarly "pinked", and filled with sparkling lemonade, results in a drink known as a Campbell. This is regarded by some as a pleasant and refreshing way to relieve a little of the sweetness of lemonade, the same drink with added lime cordial is called "lemon, lime and bitters" in Australia, and is available both as a mixed drink in bars and as a ready-made bottled soft drink. [http://www.fosters.com.au/enjoy/nonalcohol/CDA998409ECB4EFAB0FB305ED294A2C2.htm]
Peychaud's Bitters is associated with
New Orleans, Louisiana , and the Sazerac cocktail. It, too, is a gentian based bitters, with a subtly different and sweeter taste than the Angostura brand.Orange bitters are made from the rinds of unripe oranges. Orange bitters is often called for in some older cocktail recipes.
Medicinal quantities of
quinine were occasionally used in old cocktail recipes. Quinine is still found in much lower concentrations intonic water , used today mostly in drinks withgin .The oldest and rarest of antique bottles command prices of tens of thousands of dollars (see links below).
Types and brands
Bitters still available today include:
*Alpenbitter (fromSwitzerland )
*Amaro Cora (fromItaly )
*Amaro Erbes (fromItaly )
*Amaro Jannamico (fromItaly )
*Amaro Lucano (similar to Unicum but only 30% alcohol rather than 40% fromItaly )
*Amaro Montenegro (fromItaly )
*Amer Picon (fromFrance )
*Amaro Quintessentia
*Angostura bitters (fromTrinidad and Tobago )
*Angostura Orange Bitters (fromTrinidad and Tobago )
*Aperol (orange, less bitter than Campari, fromItaly )
*Araucano (FromChile )
*Averna (fromItaly )
*Becherovka (fromCzech Republic )
*Beerenburg (from theNetherlands )
*Boonekamp's (various brands from theNetherlands , its country of origin, and fromGermany )
*Borsci San Marzano
*Cappellano Chinato (fromItaly )
*Campari (fromItaly )
*Carpano Antica
*Carpano Punt e Mes
*Cio Ciare (fromItaly )
*Cocchi Chinato (fromItaly )
*Cock Drops (fromCyprus )
*Collins Orange (US)
*Cynar (artichoke based liqueur fromItaly )
*Dimitri (fromCosta Rica )
*Martini & Rossi ChinaMartini (fromItaly )
*Fee Brothers bitters (aromatic, orange, mint, lemon and peach), fromRochester, New York ; the aromatic bitters contain Angostura bark
*Echt Stonsdorfer (originally from Silesia now made inGermany , imitations from other German producers available under the name Stonsdorfer)
*Fernet Branca (fromItaly )
*Fernet Stock (from theCzech Republic )
*Gammel Dansk (fromDenmark )
*Hermes Orange
*Hermes Regular
*Hoppe Orange (fromHolland )
*Jägermeister (fromGermany )
*Killepitsch
*Kuemmerling (fromGermany )
*Luxardo Amaro
*Luxardo Bitters (somewhat similar to Campari)
*Luxardo Fernet
*Marcarini Chinato
*Meletti
*Mint bitters
*Nardini Amaro
*Nijmeegs Neutje , a kruidenbitter available only inNijmegen (in theNetherlands )
*Orange bitters
*Par-D-Schatz (fromGermany )
*Peach bitters
*Peychaud's Bitters (fromLouisiana ,United States )
*Pimm's No. 1
*Quinquina (fromFrance , originally fromSouth America )
*Ramazzotti (fromItaly )
*Ratzeputz (fromGermany )
*Regans' Orange Bitters No.6 (Gary Regan's recipe)
*Riemerschmid Angostra (fromGermany )
*Riga Black Balsam (fromLatvia )
*Santa Maria al Monte Amaro (fromItaly )
*Schrobbeler (From SouthernNetherlands )
*St. Vitus (from Germany)
*Sirop de Picon (fromFrance )
*Suze (fromFrance )
*Swedish bitters
*Torani brand Amer
* [http://www.the-bitter-truth.com The Bitter Truth] -Aromatic-,Orange-and Lemon Bitters (fromGermany )
*Underberg (sometimes sold in health food stores, fromGermany )
*Unicum (fromHungary )
*Wurzelpeter and Wurzelpeter Bitter Orange (fromGermany )
*Zucco (fromItaly )Other brands/types of bitters have also included:
*Appenzeller (fromSwitzerland )
*Boker's
*Calisaya bitters (containingcinchona /quinine )
*Hartwig-Kantorowicz (fromGermany )
*Hostetter's (American)
*Kabänes (fromGermany )
*Kina Lillet
*Maraschino bitters
*Meinhard's Bitters Dr. Teodoro Meinhard's Angostura Bitters (FromVenezuela )
*Meyer's Bitter (fromGermany )
*Flimm's (fromGermany )
*Reichs-Post Bitter (fromGermany )
*West Indies
*New York (Australian)
*Boston (Australian)
*St Louis (Australian)
*Frisco (Australian)
*Lupulins (Australian)
*Dr Grants (Australian)
*Philadelphia (Australian)
*Kent (Australian)
*Dixons (Australian)
*Milwaukee (Australian)
*Gippsland (Australian)
*Utica (Australian)
*Steanes (Australian)
*Ralays (Australian)
*Bairnsdale (Australian)
*McDonalds (Australian)Non-alcoholic Bitters include:
*Chinò
*Fanta Chinotto (made fromChinotto )
*Sanbittèr
*Stirrings Blood Orange
*Bradley's Bittersee also
*
Flavored liquor External links
* [http://www.underberg.com/ Underberg official site]
* [http://www.angostura.com/ Angostura Bitters official site]
* [http://www.sazerac.com/index.html Sazerac Co., makers of Peychaud's Bitters]
* [http://www.feebrothers.com/Page.asp?Script=2 Fee Brothers, a bitters distributor]
* [http://www.kegworks.com/home.php?cat=936&page= KegWorks, a bitters distributor]
* [http://www.fineliving.com/fine/thirsty_traveler/article/0,1663,FINE_10176_2389104,00.html The Thirsty Traveler on Bitters]
* [http://www.lenells.com/selections/bitters.php LeNell's description and tasting notes on a large number of bitters]
* [http://www.antiquebottles.com/bitters/ Antique bitters bottle website]
* [http://www.bittersbottles.net/ The authoritative book on antique bitters bottles]
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