By Paul Suplee, MBA, CEC, PC-3

Acrid notes of bittersweet chocolate and sumac bounce around on my palate. The fizz of the ginger ale further accentuates the exhilarating flavors that I am experiencing. Eureka, I have made a delicious bitters from scratch.

This is my first foray into homemade bitters, and I think I am in love. I’m constantly looking at the next project, a new space to share my wares and new treats to create, making my guest’s experience as good as it can be. Now, if only I could find a good spot closer to the beach. I’m working on it, so who knows? Perhaps that will happen someday.

When we think of bitters, naturally we think of the standbys, Angostura and Peychaud, both commendable in their own rights. These are the control in our bitters experiment as these tonics have been around forever. With their medicinal characteristics and sharp flavor, they add a beautiful zest to many a cocktail. Think of them as the salt and pepper for a bartender. Or in my case, just call them the ‘trimix’ of the craft cocktail.

Growing up, if I had an upset stomach, I would be given a glass of ice cold ginger ale with a few drops of Angostora Bitters. Originally created as a tincture to aid people suffering from motion sickness (think those rickety wooden ships on the high seas or those horse-drawn carriages of yore), they eventually made their way into our cocktails and ultimately, into our hearts.

So what exactly comprises a sassy little bottle of bitters? While I’m sure that I do not know the recipe for the age-old commercial ones, I started playing around with some ingredients that I had on hand as well as some bittering agents that I bought at the local organic store. And from there, it was as though I was a newborn child, eyes agape in wonder and drool in the corner of my mouth.

I made five tinctures which I then used to make two finished bitters. Simplified, it’s almost like blending a fine scotch or a blended wine. Just imagine that you have two jars that you’re combining. One has your aromatics, herbs and spices, and the other has your bittering tincture. In all of these, I used grain alcohol as the extractor, which leeches out the flavors, oils and essences into the boozy medium.

I made a chocolate-sumac bitters that was life-changing. Using ginger ale as my testing medium (reference earlier comment), I sampled the house bitters and the aforementioned chocolate-sumac. The house was great, reminiscent of Angostura but not as strong. But the chocolate sumac stopped me dead in my tracks. I knew immediately what I had to do. And I did it. I created one hell of a cocktail with Buffalo Trace bourbon, Filthy© Cherry syrup, orange oil on the rim, a lemon rind in the drink and four dashes of my new fancy-pants bitters. And, it did not disappoint. It was delicious and a mere start to the mayhem that will be coming out of my disjointed brain.

I am new to the bar game, but I can already tell that I am going to love this. Now, all I have to do is find a suitable second place to hang my hat and start creating.

House Bitters
makes about 1 cup

1/2 cup House aromatic tincture (recipe follows)
3 Tbsp. Roasted chicory tincture (recipe follows)
3 Tbsp. Slippery elm tincture (recipe follows)
2 Tbsp. Dandelion root tincture (recipe follows)

1. Combine all ingredients. This will be very strong, so remember that we are only using a small dash in our cocktails, so it has to have a potent little punch.
2. Store in a glass bottle. It will store indefinitely because of the high alcohol content.

House Aromatic Tincture

1.5 c. Grain alcohol
1 lemon
1 orange
6 juniper berries
15 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp. Allspice
1/2 tsp. Black pepper
5 cardamom pods, cracked

1. Peel the zest off of the citrus, leaving just the smallest amount of white pith on it. This will add another layer of bitter to our bitters.
2. Place all of the ingredients in a sealable glass jar. Ensure that the jar is clean.
3. Seal the jar, ensuring that all of the ingredients are covered in alcohol.
4. Let sit on the counter for two weeks, shaking every day. The alcohol will extract oils, flavors and essences from the ingredients.
5. Strain through cheesecloth or a coffee filter.
6. Store in a glass bottle. It will store indefinitely because of the high alcohol content.

Chicory Tincture (Bittering agent)
makes about 1 cup

1 c. Grain alcohol
4 tsp. Roasted chicory root

1. Steep the root in the alcohol for 2 weeks, using the method listed above.
2. Strain and store in a glass jar until ready to use.

Slippery Elm Tincture (Bittering Agent)
makes about 1 cup

3 Tbsp. Slippery elm shavings
1 c. Grain alcohol

1. Steep the root in the alcohol for 2 weeks, using the method listed above.
2. Strain and store in a glass jar until ready to use.

Dandelion Root Tincture (Bittering Agent)
makes about 1 cup

4 tsp. Dandelion root
1 c. Grain alcohol

1. Steep the root in the alcohol for 2 weeks, using the method listed above.
2. Strain and store in a glass jar until ready to use.

— Paul Suplee is a Professor of Culinary Arts
at Wor-Wic Community College
and owner of boxcar40.
Visit him at www.boxcar40.com.