On a revival trail
Bitters have been around for centuries. In fact, the first printed usage of the word “cocktail” contains mention of “bitters” in it. According to an article in The New York Times,“high-proof tinctures of roots, barks and aromatics, bitters were included in 166 drinks in The OldWaldorfAstoria Bar Book, published in 1935.” A dash of bitters is known to transform as well as balance out a drink. However, over time, their use declined— no one was willing to put in effort to master a recipe that was developed centuries ago— till revivalists such as Gary Regan embarked on a bitters trail and brought them back into vogue. However, in India, the bitters found themselves tangled in a nasty web of import duties. “A few years ago, the government discovered that bitters had an alcohol base and clubbed it with the liquor category. The duties skyrocketed and made it difficult to bring in an already premium product,” says Manu Chandra, chef-partner, Toast & Tonic. That’s when chefs decided to rely on their own unique skills to make these in-house “I have started a range of tinctures and infusions, which I mature for six months to a year. I use these in combinations to get the flavour profile closest to the bitters,” he says.
At 212 All Good, Mumbai, the idea to create bitters in-house stemmed from the overall philosophy of clean eating. “Sixty years ago,there was no artificial flavouring and cocktails were all about liquor and natural flavouring. We decided to get back to that,” says Tanai Shirali, director (operations), Bellona Hospitality Services, which runs 212. The team has created five-plus bitters after much research and experimentation. “We went to Vrindavan Farms and sourced hibiscus, moringa, gentian roots and green pepper in brine to make bitters such as ginger and black pepper, green pepper corn, et cetera,” he says.