National Culinary Review

or an ingredient usually measured in drops and dashes,
bitters are getting quite a bit of attention these days.
Trend watchers such as Time Magazine;food;writer;Josh
Ozersky,;Laine;Doss,;aka;Booze;Hound,;who;blogs;for
Brad Thomas Parsons, author of Bitters: A Spirited History
of a Classic Cure-All;(Ten;Speed;Press,;2011),;writes;that;bitters
provide depth, nuance and balance; unify disparate and seemingly
incompatible elements; cut through richness and tamp down
sweetness.;He;describes;them;as;“the;ultimate;matchmaker.”
And there are plenty of labels and varieties to choose from.
Within;the;past;few;years,;the;older;mainstay;brands,;Angostura,
Peychaud’s;and;Fee;Brothers,;have;had;to;compete;for;shelf
space with a multitude of artisanal handcrafted aromatic bitters
made by small producers around the country. Many serious
bartenders are taking a do-it-yourself approach. It’s hard to say
for;certain;whether;the;interest;in;them;came;first;or;if;it;was;the
better selection and quality of bitters that’s fueled the enthusiasm
for their possibilities. Either way, this is their moment.

F

BUILDING ON THE PAST

Ira;Koplowitz;and;Nick;Kosevich;saw;that;moment;coming. They were bartending in different cities, and both were making bitters;in-house.;“The;original;19th;century;definition;of;a cocktail;was;a;combination;of;alcohol,;sugar,;water;and;bitters,”

PHOTO CREDITS Opposite, Courtesy of Bittercube; above, Gabriella Marks

ALMOST BUZZED

Todd Thrasher, Owner // PX // Alexandria, Va.

1 oz. Buzzed Mix (recipe follows)
1 oz. Chairman’s Reserve White Rum
½ oz. Bombay Dry Gin
¼ oz. Pok Pok honey vinegar
Lemon bitters
Lemon twist

method: Chill glass. Stir together Buzzed Mix, rum, gin and vinegar. Strain over Juliette ice cube (large square cube). Float with lemon bitters; finish with lemon twist.

Buzzed Mix
¼ qt. ginger (peeled, sliced)
¼ qt. honey
1 t. cloves
1 T. cardamom
1 anise pod
1 T. lavender
2 qts. water

method: Simmer ginger, honey, cloves, cardamom, anise and lavender in water, low and slow, until ginger is translucent. Strain.

Opposite, Bittercube Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters drop into an old fashioned cocktail; above, The Bitter End’s curry bitters pair up nicely with gin.

explains;Koplowitz.;“They;are;fundamental;to;drink-making.
But;we;couldn’t;buy;what;we;needed.”
There used to be many commercial bitters available. But few
businesses survived the lean years when the Volstead Act banning
the;production;and;sale;of;alcohol;was;in;force.;So;Koplowitz;and
Kosevich;partnered;in;2009,;relocated;to;Milwaukee;and;started
Bittercube.;“We;developed;six;styles,”;says;Koplowitz,;“batch-
testing;them;and;scaling;up;the;formulas;for;half;a;year.”;The
products;came;onto;the;market;in;June;2010.;“We;weren’t;the;first
on;the;scene,”;he;adds,;“but;we;were;among;the;early;innovators.”

The liquid concentrates start with high-proof alcohol—a neutral;spirit,;whiskey;or;rum—essential;for;effective;extraction. The base note comes from bittering agents such as gentian, cassia bark;and;dandelion;root,;flavors;from;such;things;as;vanilla;beans, blackstrap molasses, dried fruits, black pepper and hibiscus.

A CULINARY PERSPECTIVE

Bitters;can;be;used;with;seltzer;to;make;a;dry;soda,;and;in coffee;as;well;as;mixed;drinks.;Koplowitz;sees;a;role;for;bitters in the kitchen, too. “They’re a great addition to braises, marinades and;vinaigrettes.;I;like;them;on;fruit;and;ice;cream.;We;know;a chef who garnished scallops with a drop of our orange bitters. The;aromatic;effect;was;wonderful.”