Home-made Cardamom Bitters

In The Balance and Columbian Repository published in May 13, 1806, a cocktail is defined for the first time as spirits, sugar, water and bitters.

Bitters come in two varieties. There is the the botanically infused, high-proof spirit concentrate that only requires a drop or two in a cocktail. The other type are potable bitters that are to be sipped on their own as a liqueur. An amaro (bitter in Italian) is an after-dinner digestif, Ramazzotti and Campari are examples of an amaro. We will explore potable bitters in a future blog.

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Bitters elevate and deepen cocktails and today we have some remarkable choices.

Micro distilleries are producing bitters with Niagara peaches, Ontario blueberries, evergreens, Lemongrass, mint, chilli peppers, chocolate and more. Check out Top Shelf's Bitters located in Perth, ON.

We thought we would try a home brew and followed a few easy steps to create our own bitters.

You will need a glass dasher, (something that dispenses a single drop at a time - see above picture). Cocktail Emporium sell them.

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Ingredients

2 cinnamon sticks

2 tbsp cardamon seeds

1/2 tsp caraway seeds

1/2 tsp cloves

1 star anise pod

1 tbsp cassia chips

1/2 tbsp gentian root

1cup grain spirit (190 proof)

1 cup water

1 tbsp Rich simple syrup (2 parts sugar, 1 part water) 7 tbsp of dried botanicals to 500 ml alcohol

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Method

Thanks to Brad Thomas Parson, author of the book Bitters.

Place the cinnamon, cardamom, caraway seeds, star anise, cassia chips and gentian root in a 1-quart Mason jar or another glass container with a lid. Add the spirits, making sure all the ingredients are covered. (Add more booze if needed.) Seal, and store at room temperature out of direct sunlight for 2 weeks, shaking once a day.

Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined funnel into a clean 1-quart jar, squeezing the cheesecloth to release any excess liquid. Seal the jar and set aside. Transfer the solids to a small saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

Add the contents of the saucepan to another 1-quart Mason jar, seal and store at room temperature out of direct sunlight, for 1 week, shaking once a day. Strain through cheesecloth until all solids have been removed and add the liquid to the alcohol. Add the rich simple syrup and shake to combine. Store in a glass dasher bottle. The bitters will last indefinitely, but for the best flavour use within a year.

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Cassia chips and gentian root can be purchased from your local health/natural food grocery.

Carlos' House of Spice in Toronto, ON carries them.

Ontario-specific problem: getting high-proof alcohol in the province is challenging. I had a Vancouver friend bring Everclear 190 proof grain alcohol to me. If you stay in the US for at least 48 hours you can bring back a 1.14 litres of spirits. Albertans can also get the stuff.

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