Bitters
A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas
Published on 1. November 2011
Book
Hardback
240 pages
978-1-58008-359-1 (ISBN)
Description
Gone are the days when a lonely bottle of Angostura bitters held court behind the bar. A cocktail renaissance has swept across the country, inspiring in bartenders and their thirsty patrons a new fascination with the ingredients, techniques, and traditions that make the American cocktail so special. And few ingredients have as rich a history or serve as fundamental a role in our beverage heritage as bitters.
Author and bitters enthusiast Brad Thomas Parsons traces the history of the world's most storied elixir, from its earliest "snake oil" days to its near evaporation after Prohibition to its ascension as a beloved (and at times obsessed-over) ingredient on the contemporary bar scene. Parsons writes from the front lines of the bitters boom, where he has access to the best and boldest new brands and flavors, the most innovative artisanal producers, and insider knowledge of the bitters-making process.
Whether you're a professional looking to take your game to the next level or just a DIY-type interested in homemade potables, Bitters has a dozen recipes for customized blends--ranging from Apple to Coffee-Pecan to Root Beer bitters--as well as tips on sourcing ingredients and step-by-step instructions fit for amateur and seasoned food crafters alike.
Also featured are more than seventy cocktail recipes that showcase bitters' diversity and versatility: classics like the Manhattan (if you ever get one without bitters, send it back), old-guard favorites like the Martinez, contemporary drinks from Parsons's own repertoire like the Shady Lane, plus one-of-a-kind libations from the country's most pioneering bartenders. Last but not least, there is a full chapter on cooking with bitters, with a dozen recipes for sweet and savory bitters-infused dishes.
Part recipe book, part project guide, part barman's manifesto, Bitters is a celebration of good cocktails made well, and of the once-forgotten but blessedly rediscovered virtues of bitters.
Author and bitters enthusiast Brad Thomas Parsons traces the history of the world's most storied elixir, from its earliest "snake oil" days to its near evaporation after Prohibition to its ascension as a beloved (and at times obsessed-over) ingredient on the contemporary bar scene. Parsons writes from the front lines of the bitters boom, where he has access to the best and boldest new brands and flavors, the most innovative artisanal producers, and insider knowledge of the bitters-making process.
Whether you're a professional looking to take your game to the next level or just a DIY-type interested in homemade potables, Bitters has a dozen recipes for customized blends--ranging from Apple to Coffee-Pecan to Root Beer bitters--as well as tips on sourcing ingredients and step-by-step instructions fit for amateur and seasoned food crafters alike.
Also featured are more than seventy cocktail recipes that showcase bitters' diversity and versatility: classics like the Manhattan (if you ever get one without bitters, send it back), old-guard favorites like the Martinez, contemporary drinks from Parsons's own repertoire like the Shady Lane, plus one-of-a-kind libations from the country's most pioneering bartenders. Last but not least, there is a full chapter on cooking with bitters, with a dozen recipes for sweet and savory bitters-infused dishes.
Part recipe book, part project guide, part barman's manifesto, Bitters is a celebration of good cocktails made well, and of the once-forgotten but blessedly rediscovered virtues of bitters.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Berkeley
United States
Publishing group
Random House USA Inc
Illustrations
50 FULL-COLOR PHOTOS
Dimensions
Height: 238 mm
Width: 174 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
845 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-58008-359-1 (9781580083591)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Brad Thomas Parsons
Bitters
A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas
E-Book
11/2011
1st Edition
Ten Speed Press
€9.99
Available for download
Persons
Brad Thomas Parsons is a writer, blogger, and food and cocktail enthusiast. A former senior editor at Amazon.com, he received an MFA in writing from Columbia University and has been a contributor to Serious Eats, Omnivoracious, Al Dente, and Seattle Met, among others. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit btparsons.com.
Content
Introduction . . . . . 1
A Brief History of Bitters . . . . . 7
A Bitters Boom . . . . . 23
Making Your Own Bitters . . . . . 41
Apple Bitters . . . . . 52
BTP House Bitters . . . . . 54
Charred Cedar Bitters . . . . . 56
Cherry-Hazelnut Bitters . . . . . 58
Coffee-Pecan Bitters . . . . . 60
Grapefruit Bitters . . . . . 62
Husk Cherry Bitters . . . . . 64
Key Lime Bitters . . . . . 66
Maggie’s Rhubarb Bitters . . . . . 68
Meyer Lemon Bitters . . . . . 70
Orange Bitters . . . . . 72
Pear Bitters . . . . . 74
Root Beer Bitters . . . . . 76
Setting Up Your Bar . . . . . 79
Bitters Hall of Fame . . . . . 105
Old-Fashioned . . . . . 107
Manhattan . . . . . 108
Champagne Cocktail . . . . . 111
Sazerac . . . . . 112
Old-Guard Cocktails . . . . . 115
Abbey Cocktail . . . . . 116
Alaska Cocktail . . . . . 117
Allegheny Cocktail . . . . . 118
Angostura Fizz . . . . . 118
Bijou Cocktail . . . . . 120
Brandy Crusta . . . . . 121
Corn ’n’ Oil . . . . . 123
Cuba Libre . . . . . 124
Dark and Stormy . . . . . 125
East India Cocktail . . . . . 126
Fourth Regiment Cocktail . . . . . 127
Harvard Cocktail . . . . . 127
Horse’s Neck . . . . . 129
Japanese Cocktail . . . . . 130
Jersey Cocktail . . . . . 130
Martini . . . . . 132
Martinez Cocktail . . . . . 134
Mint Julep . . . . . 135
Negroni . . . . . 137
Old Hickory . . . . . 138
Pegu Club Cocktail . . . . . 138
Pink Gin . . . . . 140
Pisco Sour . . . . . 143
Remember the Maine . . . . . 144
Rob Roy . . . . . 144
Satan’s Whiskers . . . . . 145
Scofflaw Cocktail . . . . . 145
Seelbach Cocktail . . . . . 146
Toronto . . . . . 148
Vieux Carré . . . . . 148
New-Look Cocktails . . . . . 151
The 5th Avenue Cocktail . . . . . 153
Añejo Highball . . . . . 153
Autumn Sweater . . . . . 155
The Bitter Handshake . . . . . 156
Black Feather . . . . . 158
Black Scottish Cyclops . . . . . 159
Coxsackie Smash . . . . . 160
Cranberry Crush . . . . . 162
Cricket Ball . . . . . 163
Do You Believe in Miracles? . . . . . 164
Exile in Ryeville . . . . . 167
Fernet and Coke . . . . . 168
Gargoyle & Spire . . . . . 169
The Long Hello . . . . . 170
Michelada . . . . . 172
Mrs. Kitzel . . . . . 174
Pith Helmet . . . . . 175
Primo Avenue Punch . . . . . 177
Red Carpet Reviver . . . . . 178
Sawyer . . . . . 181
Scuppernong Sour . . . . . 182
Shady Lane . . . . . 185
Sorghum Flip . . . . . 186
Tipsy Nissley . . . . . 187
Tombstone . . . . . 190
Trident . . . . . 190
Turkey Shoot . . . . . 191
White Light/White Heat . . . . . 193
Woodland Sunset . . . . . 194
Zim Zala Bim . . . . . 195
Bitters in the Kitchen . . . . . 197
Broiled Bitter Grapefruit . . . . . 201
Sweet & Spicy Bitter Bar Nuts . . . . . 202
Compound Bitters Butters . . . . . 204
Bitters Vinaigrette . . . . . 206
Bourbon-Bitters Holiday Ham Glaze . . . . . 207
Chinese-Style Takeout Ribs with Lacquered Bitters Glaze . . . . . 208
Hot & Sticky Bitter Wings . . . . . 210
Bitters-and-Balsamic Macerated Strawberries . . . . . 211
Bitter Apple Fried Hand Pies . . . . . 212
Bitters-Sweet Chocolate Malted Pudding . . . . . 214
Boozy Bitter Granitas . . . . . 216
Aromatic Bitters Ice Cream . . . . . 218
Resources . . . . . 220
Recommended Reading for the Cocktail Enthusiast . . . . . 222
Acknowledgments . . . . . 224
Index . . . . . 227
A Brief History of Bitters . . . . . 7
A Bitters Boom . . . . . 23
Making Your Own Bitters . . . . . 41
Apple Bitters . . . . . 52
BTP House Bitters . . . . . 54
Charred Cedar Bitters . . . . . 56
Cherry-Hazelnut Bitters . . . . . 58
Coffee-Pecan Bitters . . . . . 60
Grapefruit Bitters . . . . . 62
Husk Cherry Bitters . . . . . 64
Key Lime Bitters . . . . . 66
Maggie’s Rhubarb Bitters . . . . . 68
Meyer Lemon Bitters . . . . . 70
Orange Bitters . . . . . 72
Pear Bitters . . . . . 74
Root Beer Bitters . . . . . 76
Setting Up Your Bar . . . . . 79
Bitters Hall of Fame . . . . . 105
Old-Fashioned . . . . . 107
Manhattan . . . . . 108
Champagne Cocktail . . . . . 111
Sazerac . . . . . 112
Old-Guard Cocktails . . . . . 115
Abbey Cocktail . . . . . 116
Alaska Cocktail . . . . . 117
Allegheny Cocktail . . . . . 118
Angostura Fizz . . . . . 118
Bijou Cocktail . . . . . 120
Brandy Crusta . . . . . 121
Corn ’n’ Oil . . . . . 123
Cuba Libre . . . . . 124
Dark and Stormy . . . . . 125
East India Cocktail . . . . . 126
Fourth Regiment Cocktail . . . . . 127
Harvard Cocktail . . . . . 127
Horse’s Neck . . . . . 129
Japanese Cocktail . . . . . 130
Jersey Cocktail . . . . . 130
Martini . . . . . 132
Martinez Cocktail . . . . . 134
Mint Julep . . . . . 135
Negroni . . . . . 137
Old Hickory . . . . . 138
Pegu Club Cocktail . . . . . 138
Pink Gin . . . . . 140
Pisco Sour . . . . . 143
Remember the Maine . . . . . 144
Rob Roy . . . . . 144
Satan’s Whiskers . . . . . 145
Scofflaw Cocktail . . . . . 145
Seelbach Cocktail . . . . . 146
Toronto . . . . . 148
Vieux Carré . . . . . 148
New-Look Cocktails . . . . . 151
The 5th Avenue Cocktail . . . . . 153
Añejo Highball . . . . . 153
Autumn Sweater . . . . . 155
The Bitter Handshake . . . . . 156
Black Feather . . . . . 158
Black Scottish Cyclops . . . . . 159
Coxsackie Smash . . . . . 160
Cranberry Crush . . . . . 162
Cricket Ball . . . . . 163
Do You Believe in Miracles? . . . . . 164
Exile in Ryeville . . . . . 167
Fernet and Coke . . . . . 168
Gargoyle & Spire . . . . . 169
The Long Hello . . . . . 170
Michelada . . . . . 172
Mrs. Kitzel . . . . . 174
Pith Helmet . . . . . 175
Primo Avenue Punch . . . . . 177
Red Carpet Reviver . . . . . 178
Sawyer . . . . . 181
Scuppernong Sour . . . . . 182
Shady Lane . . . . . 185
Sorghum Flip . . . . . 186
Tipsy Nissley . . . . . 187
Tombstone . . . . . 190
Trident . . . . . 190
Turkey Shoot . . . . . 191
White Light/White Heat . . . . . 193
Woodland Sunset . . . . . 194
Zim Zala Bim . . . . . 195
Bitters in the Kitchen . . . . . 197
Broiled Bitter Grapefruit . . . . . 201
Sweet & Spicy Bitter Bar Nuts . . . . . 202
Compound Bitters Butters . . . . . 204
Bitters Vinaigrette . . . . . 206
Bourbon-Bitters Holiday Ham Glaze . . . . . 207
Chinese-Style Takeout Ribs with Lacquered Bitters Glaze . . . . . 208
Hot & Sticky Bitter Wings . . . . . 210
Bitters-and-Balsamic Macerated Strawberries . . . . . 211
Bitter Apple Fried Hand Pies . . . . . 212
Bitters-Sweet Chocolate Malted Pudding . . . . . 214
Boozy Bitter Granitas . . . . . 216
Aromatic Bitters Ice Cream . . . . . 218
Resources . . . . . 220
Recommended Reading for the Cocktail Enthusiast . . . . . 222
Acknowledgments . . . . . 224
Index . . . . . 227