What Are Bitters?

Bitters are often said to be the ‘salt and pepper’ of the cocktail world, and it’s 100% true! Seasoning is incredibly important when it comes to cooking, so why shouldn’t it be when creating drinks? If you’ve been making the same cocktail recipes over and over but feel it’s missing just one touch on the palate - it might be missing bitters!

What are bitters?

But what are bitters? Bitters actually started life as a medicine, with Angostura being one of the first commercially available. They are a spirit that has been infused with very bitter ingredients (hence the name) such as tree bark, bitter herbs and many other flavourings. As they are so incredibly bitter, they are usually sold in small bottles with droppers, meaning you can drop them right into your cocktails!

If you want to step up your mixology game and be producing some top quality cocktails, bitters are the way to go. To help you out we’ve made a list of some bitters our resident mixologist, Aidy Smith, gives the seal of approval to:

Angostura Aromatic Bitters

Perhaps the most iconic bitters there are, the legendary Angostura Aromatic Bitters. These have been used far and wide to spruce up every cocktail you can think of. They’re particularly delicious in whisky cocktails such as a Whisky Sour or an Old Fashioned! Now time for the fun facts:

1)    Angostura was originally created as a medicine by Dr Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, a surgeon in Venezuela but it has now ended up in all sorts of drinks! It was said to aid seasickness and stomach issues.

2)    The oversized label that has now become a staple of all Angostura bottles started as an accident. When the founder passed down the brand to his sons for a rebrand, there was a mix up in label and bottle design meaning the label didn’t fit! This mix up ended up making Angostura stand out from the rest, and it continues to this day!

3)    Only 5 people in the world know the recipe!

4)    Pink gin was invented by dropping Angostura into gin as a medicine for the Navy (it’s always the Navy)!

ABV: 44.7%
Size: 20cl
Find it here: £13.10

Angostura Orange Bitters

Though the original bitters were released in 1824, it took Angostura 183 years to release an orange bitters. Even though its history is short, it’s still made an impact on the mixology world and is now one of the most popular orange bitters out there! It too features the oversized label and its blend of Caribbean orange peel, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves is delicious in a rum or whisky based cocktail!

ABV: 28%
Size: 10cl
Find it here: £13.80

Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters

Looking to add a nutty flavour to your cocktails but don’t want to have to blend some nuts and then worry about accidentally finding bits in your cocktail? Instead of worrying, try Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters! They’re a great way to make your cocktails just that bit more unique and add dimension. 

ABV: 6.4%
Size: 15cl
Find it here: £14.18

Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters

Fee Brothers are another brand that really knocks it out of the park with their bitters. Their flavours go on and on, but the two we had to include were the Black Walnut and this, the Aztec Chocolate. It’s been given the name Aztec Chocolate in honour of the Aztec people, who used to drink bitter hot chocolate (or hot cacao) made with caco, spices and peppers. Try these bitters with a rye whisky cocktail!

ABV: 2.6%
Size: 15cl
Find it here: £13.92

Bob’s Vanilla Bitters

Vanilla in a cocktail? Yum! This Vanilla Bitters is great for a sweeter cocktail, as the rich vanilla notes give it a beautiful creamy edge. Try this in a piña colada, or just a simple rum and coke!

ABV: 35%
Size: 10cl
Find it here: UK £17.55

Check out these cocktail recipes for further inspiration… The Most Popular Gin Cocktails, 10 Must-Try Martini Variations and The Best Cocktails to Make with Scotch Whisky.

Drinker Discoveries: 5 New Products For Your Next Socially Distanced Gathering

A The Three Drinkers, we love all things drinky, be they wine, beer or spirits-related, no and low drinks, bitters or even gadgets and lifestyle products. Here’s a selection of some things that have delighted us recently and tickled our tastebuds. This week’s list curated by Helena Nicklin. Find her @Winebird (Insta) @TheWinebird (Twitter).

Russell’s Hand Sanitiser

The team at Copper Rivet Distillery in Kent are some of the unsung heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic, switching production of their spirits to alcohol for hand sanitiser that will kill viruses as well as bacteria. The result here is Russell’s Hand Sanitiser, which at 70% alcohol is powerful enough to kill the nasties but the addition of Jojoba oil and vitamin E mean your hands stay soft while you use it. The beauty is you can get it in handbag sized 60ml bottles, 500ml bottles and even 5 litre bottles for businesses. I got the 5 pack of 60ml bottles: one each for the family. Find them here and while you’re at it, stick a bottle of their brilliant, premium gin, vodka or whisky into your trolly to support them. They deserve it. 

Instagram: @copperrivetdistillery

Mead: Loxwood Mead

Mead is back. Who knew? This fermented, honey-based drink was popular with Henry VIII and his medieval buddies but evidence of mead has been found in China from 7000 BC! At Loxwood Meadworks, they are reimagining mead for a modern era. This ‘honey wine’ uses 100% honey rather than grapes and you drink it chilled in just the same way. Crisp and floral with a delicate, honey flavour and just a hint of natural sweetness, this is a delightfully different drink and perfect for summer. Find it for £15 here.

Instagram: @loxwoodmeadworks

Vodka: Pure Vodka Lite

This brand new British vodka has just hit the market. Their aim was to be the ‘good guys’ in the spirits market with this uber clean and crisp vodka distilled from organic wheat and cut to just  20% (rather than the usual 40%). We tested it and you would never guess it was lighter in alcohol. A great choice for more mindful drinking. They have regular vodka too. Find it for £30 here. 

Instagram: @pure_WM

Beer: Duette Beer

Is it a beer? Is it champagne? No, it’s Duette! Created by House of Après, this sparkling brut beer was produced using champagne and Kölsch lager yeast. The result is a richly flavoured beer with the fine bubbles and complexity of champagne with the freshness and hoppiness of a pilsner and brewed to 11.5% like a sparkling wine. Totally unique, produced sustainably, unfiltered, unpasteurized and made for sharing. Find it for £14.99 for 75cl or £8.99 for 35.7cl here.

Instagram: @duettebeer

Bitters: Bitter Union Aromatic

Bitter Union has a fantastic range of flavours for their bitters, which are all produced in England in micro batches using natural ingredients and no added sugar. There are five flavours currently and I love the Aromatic, with its complex, warming notes of cherry and cinnamon. Splash some into tonic (it’s also great with lemonade) for a more interesting no - alcohol thirst quencher, but it also really rounds off whisky or rum cocktails such as a Dark & Stormy or an Old Fashioned. Find them all here for £12.95 each for 100ml along with some cocktail recipes. 

Instagram: @bitterunion

Like these? See out last Drinker Discovery post as well as our guides to underrated Irish drinks, Mindful Drinking and the best Scottish gins to explore.

Want us to consider your product? Email sophie@thethreedrinkers.com

Drinker Discoveries: CBD Bitters, New Spirits, Great Wine and Gadgets

At The Three Drinkers, we are lucky enough to receive various samples of new drinks and lifestyle products over time. In these Drinker Discovery guides, we pick our absolute favourites as well as entertaining drinks news snippets we’ll think you’ll appreciate. Here are some that I have particularly enjoyed recently.

OTO CBD bitters

Not just good for cocktails, I have this in my morning coffee. OTO’s non-alcoholic, CBD bitters adds a warming, spiced aromatic note and depth of flavour to many types of drinks and none of that acrid, hemp note. The CBD element is a huge added bonus that really does feel like it calms anxiety and assists sleep. I love this. Find it and other luxury CBD products including face creams and roll on oils here. RRP £79 for 100ml (2500mg CBD).

Instagram: @oto_cbd

Winesave Pro

We’re always interested in products that can prevent us wasting wine and recently, I’ve been using the Winesave Pro when I’ve already popped a cork (usually on that extra bottle I probably shouldn’t have opened). Simply stick the thin tube in the bottle and give it a couple of squirts so the Argon gas can replace the oxygen and keep your wine fresh for longer (make sure you replace the cork or screw cap straight away). I tested it on various styles of wine over three weeks and was really impressed. A great, budget wine saving product. Find it here for £29.99.

Instagram @Winesavepro

Aloha 65

This brand new, spirit-based drink blew my minds when I tasted it as it does not fit into any regular drinks box easily. With its vibrant packaging, it promises a taste experience that delivers too. The team infuse spirits at 27% abv with fresh pineapple with lemon, ginger and other herbs and spices as well as local chillies for a fabulous kick. It’s vegan too. Have it as chilled shots or in a plethora of cocktails. They make an epic hot sauce too. Summer barbecues, here we come! Find it here for £26 for 70cl.

Instagram @alohasixtyfive

White Wine: Mar de Frades Albarino 2019

White wine of the week for me is this citrussy, saline Albariño (that’s the grape) made by the winemaking legend that is Paula Fandiño in Rias Baixas in northwestern Spain. This is THE region for world class Albariño and this vintage from Mar de Frades also has peachy, tropical flavours underneath those Atlantic, wet rock and sea spray notes. It’s a must with fish and seafood even on a cloudy day. A little blue ship appears on the bottle when its chilled to perfection too. Lovely touch! Find it here for £18.95.

Instagram @mardefrades

Red Wine: DV Catena Malbec 2018

My red wine of the week punches so far above its price tag, I had to look twice at it. Rich and concentrated with notes of cocoa, coffee bean, grilled meat and violet, this is a serious red wine that will love a barbecue. While it is drinking very well now, you could actually leave this for a couple of years to mellow further. Truly excellent value. Find it here at Sainsbury’s for £10 (down from £12) on offer for July.

Instagram @catenawines

In The News: God Save The Clean!

This tickled me. I love how carpet stain remover company Dr Beckmann commissioned artist Fanny Gough to paint a portrait of the queen in red wine on a carpet to demonstrate how good it was. I’m stocking right up. It’s got my vote! Find it here for £11.26

Like this? Check out some of our other guides : Gift Ideas for Drinks Lovers, Best Gins for a Martini and Must-Know Premium Californian Wine Producers.