A Journey that Began with Harvesting Medicinal Plants Leads to Culinary Bitters ...

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As a Local Knowledge Keeper and experienced forager, Matricia Bauer grew her Indigenous bitters company, Wîsakipakos, out of her knowledge of local flowers, trees, shrubs and plants as food and medicine, and ways of preserving them. As the owner and operator of Warrior Women Inc., a successful company in Jasper offering interpretive plant walks and Indigenous cultural experiences, Bauer was initially approached by a tourism partner to develop a culinary experience for a group of international travellers.

“I suggested we could go on a plant foraging walk, then create a mocktail and cocktail from our ingredients. I brewed up tons of bitters and then COVID hit. I had vats of bitters and no tourists,” laments Bauer as she remembers the impetus for Wîsakipakos. But instead of becoming bitter about the situation, Bauer thought bigger and better, and got bottling.

Bauer started selling her bitters at the Farmer’s Market in Jasper and developed a cult following. “People couldn’t go out to their local bar to get their favourite mocktail or cocktail, so the bitters went over really well.” As word got out, and local mixologists and chefs took notice, Bauer realized she had a viable product on her hands. “I spent two years with a chemical engineer and expanded my product from inception to conception, and brought it to life.” In 2022, as a contestant on APTN’s Bear’s Lair, a reality series featuring Indigenous entrepreneurs pitching their plans to Indigenous business moguls, Bauer received national attention when she made it to the top three and won $10,000.

“Wîsakipakos happened by accident, but the momentum in the product carried it forward, and I like to roll with things that grow organically,” she laughs. As an Indigenous herbalist, Bauer is also completing her tea sommelier certification, so bitters are a natural extension of her general practice. “Bitters, tinctures, extracts, are all exactly the same thing,” she says. A grocery store vanilla extract is made using the same techniques that Bauer employs for her bitters. “My bitters are made using an alcohol extraction. Alcohol is very effective at drawing out the medicine and aromas. Then you can mix it with other things, brew it, ferment it there are lots of ways to take it from there, which are my own secret recipes.”

Wîsakipakos Indigenous Bitters are created with approximately 90 percent wild foraged ingredients using botanicals that are harvested in Alberta or purchased from Indigenous companies and growers in Alberta. Bauer employs a master harvester who forages half the ingredients on privately-owned land and the other half on Crown land. “Most of our ingredients are used in Indigenous culture for medicinal purposes,” says Bauer of her extracts that also pack a flavour punch. “We haven’t always had the ability to go grocery shopping or to the pharmacy, so we’ve had to heal ourselves and use the medicines that mother nature has provided to us that are literally right outside our backdoor. That knowledge is still there, but it’s not always celebrated. And this is a nice way of celebrating that knowledge in your kitchen in a delicious drink, meal, or food product.”

Wîsakipakos Indigenous Bitters features six different flavours: Bark Bitters(Wayakesk), which are a best seller, include willow, birch and cinnamon, and pair well with steak. Berry Bitters (Minis) include cranberry, wild blueberry, and wild berry tea, which elevate desserts and can be used just like vanilla to add a unique flavour profile. The Leaf Bitters (Nipis), with stinging nettle and mint, or the Tea Bitters (Nihtiy) with muskeg tea Labrador and fireweed, can be used to enhance the flavour of rice or potatoes. On the more aromatic end, the Flower Bitters (Wapakwanis) include chamomile, rose petal, and lavender; and the Medicine Bitters (Maskihkiy) include cedar, sage and sweetgrass. By working with an Indigenous mixologist and an Indigenous chef, Bauer has developed curated drink and meal recipes for each of the bitters. Or they can simply be added to hot or cold water and enjoyed in their purest form. “It adds a different flavour profile, and it’s a nice way of getting your medicine in too,” says Bauer.

Ultimately Bauer, who is Cree (Nehiyaw) from Sturgeon Lake, hopes that once the bitters make it into kitchens, that they will get used like any other condiment. “I would like to see people Indigenising their kitchens one bitter at a time. We use condiments from all over the world and this is a beautiful, Alberta-made, Indigenous- grown product that we have right here in our backyard that can elevate what you are serving to your family and friends.”

She also hopes Wîsakipakos will serve as a vehicle for education to get people excited about learning more about Indigenous culture. “It’s one thing to read about us, or to watch a YouTube video, but it’s another thing to actually taste what makes Canada unique. We say Canada is young, but Indigenous People have been on Turtle Island for thousands of years. These bitters are made to represent Indigenous culture, Alberta, and Canada. And they do in every step of the way.”