Bitters

A must-have for cocktail enthusiasts, DIY-minded home cooks, and fans of culinary history, Bitters is an authoritative and comprehensive guide to the world#x19;s most storied liquor. Part cookbook, part project guide, part barman#x19;s manifesto, Bitters is a compendium of more than 100 cocktail recipes, featuring traditional favorites as well as gems from author Brad Thomas Parsons#x19;s own repertoire. In addition to the recipes, Bitters sheds light on the history and mystery of the alcoholic infusion#x19;s origins, profiles artisanal producers, gives step-by-step instructions for making customized blends, and offers a dozen food recipes for bitters-infused dishes.

Introduction . . . . . 1
 
 
A Brief History of Bitters . . . . . 7
A Bitters Boom . . . . . 23
 
Making Your Own Bitters . . . . . 41
Apple Bitters . . . . . 52
BTP House Bitters . . . . . 54
Charred Cedar Bitters . . . . . 56
Cherry-Hazelnut Bitters . . . . . 58
Coffee-Pecan Bitters . . . . . 60
Grapefruit Bitters . . . . . 62
Husk Cherry Bitters . . . . . 64
Key Lime Bitters . . . . . 66
Maggie’s Rhubarb Bitters . . . . . 68
Meyer Lemon Bitters . . . . . 70
Orange Bitters . . . . . 72
Pear Bitters . . . . . 74
Root Beer Bitters . . . . . 76
 
Setting Up Your Bar . . . . . 79
 
Bitters Hall of Fame . . . . . 105
Old-Fashioned . . . . . 107
Manhattan . . . . . 108
Champagne Cocktail . . . . . 111
Sazerac . . . . . 112
 
Old-Guard Cocktails . . . . . 115
Abbey Cocktail . . . . . 116
Alaska Cocktail . . . . . 117
Allegheny Cocktail . . . . . 118
Angostura Fizz . . . . . 118
Bijou Cocktail . . . . . 120
Brandy Crusta . . . . . 121
Corn ’n’ Oil . . . . . 123
Cuba Libre . . . . . 124
Dark and Stormy . . . . . 125
East India Cocktail . . . . . 126
Fourth Regiment Cocktail . . . . . 127
Harvard Cocktail . . . . . 127
Horse’s Neck . . . . . 129
Japanese Cocktail . . . . . 130
Jersey Cocktail . . . . . 130
Martini . . . . . 132
Martinez Cocktail . . . . . 134
Mint Julep . . . . . 135
Negroni . . . . . 137
Old Hickory . . . . . 138
Pegu Club Cocktail . . . . . 138
Pink Gin . . . . . 140
Pisco Sour . . . . . 143
Remember the Maine . . . . . 144
Rob Roy . . . . . 144
Satan’s Whiskers . . . . . 145
Scofflaw Cocktail . . . . . 145
Seelbach Cocktail . . . . . 146
Toronto . . . . . 148
Vieux Carré . . . . . 148
 
New-Look Cocktails . . . . . 151
The 5th Avenue Cocktail . . . . . 153
Añejo Highball . . . . . 153
Autumn Sweater . . . . . 155
The Bitter Handshake . . . . . 156
Black Feather . . . . . 158
Black Scottish Cyclops . . . . . 159
Coxsackie Smash . . . . . 160
Cranberry Crush . . . . . 162
Cricket Ball . . . . . 163
Do You Believe in Miracles? . . . . . 164
Exile in Ryeville . . . . . 167
Fernet and Coke . . . . . 168
Gargoyle & Spire . . . . . 169
The Long Hello . . . . . 170
Michelada . . . . . 172
Mrs. Kitzel . . . . . 174
Pith Helmet . . . . . 175
Primo Avenue Punch . . . . . 177
Red Carpet Reviver . . . . . 178
Sawyer . . . . . 181
Scuppernong Sour . . . . . 182
Shady Lane . . . . . 185
Sorghum Flip . . . . . 186
Tipsy Nissley . . . . . 187
Tombstone . . . . . 190
Trident . . . . . 190
Turkey Shoot . . . . . 191
White Light/White Heat . . . . . 193
Woodland Sunset . . . . . 194
Zim Zala Bim . . . . . 195
 
Bitters in the Kitchen . . . . . 197
Broiled Bitter Grapefruit . . . . . 201
Sweet & Spicy Bitter Bar Nuts . . . . . 202
Compound Bitters Butters . . . . . 204
Bitters Vinaigrette . . . . . 206
Bourbon-Bitters Holiday Ham Glaze . . . . . 207
Chinese-Style Takeout Ribs with Lacquered Bitters Glaze . . . . . 208
Hot & Sticky Bitter Wings . . . . . 210
Bitters-and-Balsamic Macerated Strawberries . . . . . 211
Bitter Apple Fried Hand Pies . . . . . 212
Bitters-Sweet Chocolate Malted Pudding . . . . . 214
Boozy Bitter Granitas . . . . . 216
Aromatic Bitters Ice Cream . . . . . 218
 
 
Resources . . . . . 220
Recommended Reading for the Cocktail Enthusiast . . . . . 222
Acknowledgments . . . . . 224
Index . . . . . 227