A drop in the ocean
How just a drop can upgrade your rum cocktails
Everybody likes an underdog – there’s something satisfying about a seemingly lesser being punching well above its weight. On the cocktail scene, there are a few contenders for the crown of greatest underdog, but for my money right now, bitters might just edge it.
Their flexibility affords you the chance to make either complex cocktails or simple drinks. Both can be elevated by reaching for a bottle and adding just a drop – or few – of something. Or perhaps that should be a dash...
Bitters are a game-changer, and as rum drinkers they’re an acquaintance that’s worth getting to know and bringing home to meet your parents, because they can do wonders to your drink. Sure, the name bitters doesn’t sound like something you really want to put in your mouth, but it’s all about the bigger picture.
Once the preserve of bartenders, increasingly bitters are making their way into our homes and knowing how to use them and when can prove a little daunting at first. With different brands out there and flavours to explore we’ve rounded up a few that we believe are worth playing around with.
ANGOSTURA BITTERS
A skilfully blended aromatic preparation of gentian in combination with a variety of vegetable colouring matter. Made with the same ingredients since 1824.
The above description sits on the label of one of the most widely known bitters. As the label suggests, Angostura Bitters were created in 1824, although perhaps less known is its origin. Dr. Johann Siegert was surgeon general for Venezuela’s military leader Simón Bolívar. He created the bitters as a cure for stomach upsets in the Venezuelan army. Angostura was the original name for a Venezuelan city today called Ciudad Bolívar.
Today, production of Angostura Bitters is in Trinidad, along with Angostura Rum. A bottle stands out on any shelf due to its yellow cap and curious label that appears ill-fitted to the bottle. The story goes that two of Siegert’s sons miscommunicated when sourcing labels and bottles, but the look became their signature.
Outside of making drinks with it, perhaps the most fun story regarding Angostura is that allegedly only five people in the world know the exact combinations of herbs and spices that make up the bitters. If you believe the rumours, these people made a pack to never be in the same space at the same time in case of disaster. I’ll leave it to you to decide if you indulge that or not, but it does however mean that the recipe isn’t exactly commonknowledge. The grapevine will tell you that there are more than 40 raw ingredients. What is known is that production starts in a secret room called The Sanctuary, just outside of
Port of Spain. A high-ABV distillate is the base of the bitters, which along with the ingredients are combined with brown sugar and colouring, before dilution to 44.7% ABV.
Angostura Bitters are pretty easy to find in the UK, at supermarkets, drinks specialists and online at sites such as Master of Malt and The Whisky Exchange.
West Indian Old Fashioned
The traditional Old Fashioned is enjoying a resurgence, so what better way of celebrating than substituting the whisky for rum. It’s a brighter number than its whisky sibling.
30ml Angostura 12 Years Old rum 30ml Angostura Bitters
15ml sugar syrup
5ml Angostura Orange Bitters Orange wedge to garnish
In a mixing glass with ice, mix the rum, both bitters and sugar syrup. Stir until it feels well chilled and then strain into a glass with ice.
BITTERMENS
San Francisco has been a hub for great cocktails for some time and in 2007, Avery and Janet Glasser decided to create their own brand of bitters while living in the city. Today, they are based in Portland, Oregon.
Their range is quite something – but for adding to rum, co-founder Avery recommends either the Elemakule Tiki Bitters, Xocolatl Mole Bitters or Buckspice Ginger.
For Xocolatl Mole Bitters, Bittermens uses a combination of cacao, cinnamon and spice. It’s inspired by the Mole sauces of Mexico and was originally designed to be paired with aged tequilas. Thankfully for us, they also discovered that it goes well with rum!
The Elemakule Tiki Bitters bring you a taste of the islands. Bittermens were inspired to create these bitters by Tiki cocktail legend Brian Miller. With his input, Bittermens looked at creating a bitters designed for tiki cocktails. They recommend serving in libations served in shrunken heads, volcanos and miniature ceramic Moai.
The Buckspice Ginger is a result of the founders enjoying the kind of gingerbread you get in European Christmas markets. If you’re not the bartender type and don’t happen to have fresh ginger juice to hand for you cocktail making, this combination of dried ginger and alcohol lends itself to warming winter cocktails and mules.
Bittermens is available in the UK from Master of Malt.
Bittermens Latin Quarter (Joaquin Simó for Death & Co. New York City)
60ml Ron Zacapa Solera 23 Years Old rum ½ barspoon of sugar cane syrup
1 dash of Angostura Bitters
1 dash of Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters 3 dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters
Lemon twist
Absinthe rinse
Fill an old fashioned glass with ice and absinthe. Stir the rum, sugar cane syrup and bitters in an ice filled shaker. Dump the ice from the old fashioned glass and rotate to ensure that the rinse coats the inside of the glass. Strain the shaker liquid into the glass.
THE BITTER TRUTH
Since 2006, German company The Bitter Truth has been a part of the resurgence in the cocktail-bitters scene. Founders Stephan Berg and Alexander Hauck had experience in producing handmade bitters for the bars they worked in and decided to take this a step further. The first products were an Orange
Bitters and Old Time Aromatic Bitters.
What followed is an extensive range of bitters, with a criterion that was mainly provided by old cocktail recipes that would struggle to be made without the correct flavour of bitters.
The Orange Bitters have a marmalade nose, and delivers spice such as clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. To make the bitters, The Bitter Truth uses orange peel, herbs and spices and macerates them in alcohol.
For rum, the brand suggests that a good start would be the Chocolate Bitters and the Orange Bitters for adding to your Cuba Libre.
Again, The Bitter Truth range is available from Master of Malt, Amazon, 31 Dover and helpfully comes in sets.
Chocolate Martica
Requires a little digging around the cabinet, but includes some emerging drinks favourites.
30ml aged rum
30ml Cognac
30ml sweet Vermouth
5ml Maraschino liqueur
2 dashed of The Bitter Truth Chocolate Bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
WHAT ON EARTH IS A DASH?
Let’s be honest, what even is a dash? If you’re challenged by measurements like I am a quick search suggest that a standard dash is 1/8 of a teaspoon, or about 10 drops from a standard dropper.
The exciting thing about the world of bitters is that they are often historically orientated, but still invite experimentation and new ideas. Just a few drops of a one bitters or another can completely change the complexion of your drink – so if you’re looking to upgrade your regular tipple, there’s a simple solution just a drop away and it’ll make you look like a probartender in no-time.
“On the cocktail scene, there are few contenders for the crown of greatest underdog, but for my money
right now, bitters might just edge it”