Bitter Pleasures Are Back In Style

As with most things in the beverage world, bitters are a prime example of everything that is old becoming new again. Bitters are one of the oldest inventions that we are still enjoying in modern times. They exist as a simple combination of grain alcohol and aromatic herbs, roots, bark and fruit, yet most producers shroud their exact ingredient list in mystery. Often thought of as the “spice box” of the cocktail world, bitters have a fascinating history.  

One of the oldest producers of bitters, Angostura, has been operational since 1824. The company began in Venezuela, and bitters were first exported to the United Kingdom in 1830. Originally they were sold as a medicinal product, specifically to calm sea sickness and other stomach ailments. The Civil War saw a major rise in bitters consumption, as a popular brand called Hostetter’s billed the product as “a positive protective against the fatal maladies of the Southern swamps.” 

This was a bit of a stretch, and the U.S. government soon squashed these elaborate advertising efforts. Sales of bitters struggled, and aside from the dusty bottle that bars kept as a necessity, there was little interest in keeping bitters on people’s radar. Only Angostura and Peychaud’s are known to have survived through the Prohibition era. 

It wasn’t until the early 2000’s that the bitters creative renaissance began. Historian and bartender Gary Regan was enamored of orange bitters. The orange bitters he loved hailed from a small company in Rochester, New York called Fee Brothers. Finding them simply too hard to get ahold of, he started making his own. In 2005 he formed a partnership with the Sazerac company and Regan’s Orange Bitters No. 6 grabbed a firm foothold in bars everywhere. From there, flavored bitters options began to grow exponentially. 

Presently, you can almost name a flavor and find bitters to match. Lavender, celery, chocolate, grapefruit, cherry bark vanilla and Mexican mole are just a drop in the bitters bucket. Perhaps the trendiest contender of late is barrel aged bitters. These will add a smoky, spiced layer to your next Manhattan. 

The health claims of the 19th century were not unfounded, and a hardcore bitters enthusiast will take shots to quell a sour stomach. There is evidence to support that stimulating the bitter receptors in the back of the tongue can support proper digestive function. If you’re skipping the alcohol, adding several dashes of bitters and a squeeze of lime to seltzer water is a lively and refreshing sipper.