BITTER Until The END

f eatured Bitters r ecipe: Aromatic Bitters

As the name implies, aromatic bitters have a pleasant smell while also enhancing the flavor of a beverage (aroma is a key component to taste). m ost aromatic bitters involve orange zest. h ere is an easy-touse aromatic bitters recipe:

• Zest of 1 m edium o range

• 750ml of o verproof r um or w hiskey

• 35-40 d rops of g entian r oot e xtract (approximately 2 m l )

• 1 tsp. w hole Black Peppercorns

• 1 Cinnamon s tick (3 to 4 inches)

• 1 1/2 in piece fresh ginger, cut in large pieces

• 4 w hole Allspice Berries

• 4 w hole Cloves

• 1 C. w ater to dilute (optional) l ocate a medium to large infusion or tincture jar. Put the heaviest dry ingredients in first and softer ones on top (e.g. allspice, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon first, with peppercorns and orange zest later). Pour in the e verclear and add the gentian root extract.

Allow ingredients to infuse for four to six days, and shake the jar at least once per day. Check the ingredients’ scent daily to ensure they’re infusing well. w hen the tincture smells strong, filter out the solids with a mesh strainer. Test a couple drops of your bitters in a drink or with some water. d ilute your bitters with the water if it’s a little too strong.