Bitters
Our bitters are an aromatic celebration of flavour — a slow, patient craft. A mix of 13 hand-selected spices includes cubebs from Java, grains of paradise from West Africa, Madagascan vanilla, Ceylon cinnamon, and Peruvian cinchona (quinine).
These ingredients are steeped in high-proof spirit and allowed to extract their essence over several weeks. The result is a complex, layered flavour designed to lift your favourite drinks. Sediment may settle – shake gently before use to awaken the spice.
The History of Bitters
The origins of bitters go back to the ancient Egyptians, who may have infused medicinal herbs in jars of wine. This practice was further developed during the Middle Ages, when the availability of distilled alcohol made possible more-concentrated herbal bitters and tonic preparations. Many of the brands and styles of digestive bitters reflect herbal stomachic and tonic preparations whose roots are claimed to be traceable back to Renaissance era pharmacopoeia and traditions.
By the nineteenth century, the British practice of adding herbal bitters (used as preventive medicines) to Canary wine had become immensely popular in the former American colonies. By 1806, American publications referenced the popularity of a new preparation, termed cocktail, which was described as a combination of “a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters”.