Bitters

WHAT SPICES ARE TO A CHEF, BITTERS ARE TO A BARMAN

Gone are the days when a lonely bottle of yellow topped bitters held court behind the bar. A cocktail renaissance has swept across the globe, inspiring in bartenders and their thirsty patrons a new fascination with the ingredients, techniques, and traditions that make a cocktail so special. And few ingredients have as rich a history or serve as fundamental a role in our beverage heritage as bitters (see Thomas Parson’s Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All)

Many brands of bitters began as medicinal tonics and soon found a home in cocktails as concentrated flavour stimulants that add a nice kick to the mix even though they are only used by the dash. Bitters were considered a necessity in the early definition of a cocktail, but were left out of many drinks until their recent comeback thanks, in part, to an interest in classic cocktails.

Formulas are often closely guarded secrets and include a variety of herbs, fruits, spices, and roots distilled in a base liquor. In today’s bar, bitters are essential, and each brings its own qualities to a cocktail, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

When you immerse yourself in the world of bitters, there’s no better place than the world’s “largest collection of bitters”: The Bitters Lab, located at Shop 9, 397 Smith St, in Fitzroy (www.onlybitters. com). We like to experiment with limited releases such as “The Dispensary – Whisky Bitters” made by the good people at The Gospel Distillers in Brunswick. This is a twist on traditional bitters with steeped orange peel, cinnamon, cloves, cardamon, star anise, vanilla, and other botanicals in barrel strength – highly recommended for a spicey oldfashioned.