AROMATIC BITTERS

Herbal tinctures date back as far as the discovery of distilled alcohol. Ancient Egyptians soaked herbs in alcohol to create tinctures and herbal remedies that can be traced back through ancient history even earlier. For example, the Ephedra plant, whose extract was used to combat fatigue, has been in continuous use since early Roman times.

However, ‘bitters’ as we now know it, can be traced back to the 1800s and one Johann Siegert, a doctor in Venezuela, who crafted bitters as a way to keep troops on their feet and aid those suffering from malaria. Other recipes began emerging as “cure-alls” for various stomach ailments, to alleviate headaches and reduce fevers and infections.

At the time they were merely tonics, made using herbs, roots and bark that were believed to offer medical benefits.

Many people, especially in Europe, still consume a nightly spoonful of bitters to help detoxify the liver, or as a digestif, where the bitter compounds stimulate the production of saliva which aids in the absorption of nutrients into our bodies. Certainly, many of the ingredients used in bitters have known scientifically-tested therapeutic properties, and the consumption of bitters is gaining popularity for aiding digestion, easing sea-sickness, supporting the immune system and even assisting in the management of stress!

Since many bitters were unpleasent to taste, it became the practice, especially in military circles, to consume the bitters with rum, gin and spirits rations and this practice began to spread with Angostura bitters in the 19th century becoming one of the first global bitters brands to be used in cocktails.

During the 20th century, bitters became fundamental ingredients for many popular cocktails, including the Old Fashioned, Negroni , Martini and Manhattan. Diverse recipes emerged and bitters is now a staple in most restaurants and bars, used creatively to bring delightful aromatic, bitter and sweet flavours to your favourite drink or dish.