Summer Herbs for Winter Days
Bitters are a wonderful way to preserve the light of the summer for the darkness of winter. They are flavorful and medicinal, and they brighten up cocktails or glasses of sparkling water. I make a sel...
Ingredients
- 5 parts dandelion root
- 1 part gentian root
- 1 part each hibiscus flower, black pepper, anise, and mandarin peel
- Alcohol, to cover
Preparation
Either mix herbs and spices together in one jar, and cover with alcohol, or create separate extracts and combine them later. Both fresh and dried herbs work, though you will usually want three times as much fresh material to replace dried material. Leave the herbs in alcohol for 4–6 weeks, shaking every 2 or 3 days. Make sure the herbs remain covered by alcohol while they macerate.
When finished, strain and bottle the bitters. Amber or colored glass dropper bottles work best because they shield the concoctions from damaging sunlight. Your bitters will be preserved for many years.
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Why so Bitter?
“What the heck are bitters?” As a bartender, I get this question a lot. The way I sum it up is this: Bitters are simply a concentrated flavor or a combination of concentrated flavors.
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