Homemade Bitters

Name: Homemade Bitters
Yield: About 4 oz (120 ml)
Ingredients: 1 cup (240 ml) high-proof bourbon or rye (100 proof / 50% ABV if possible — higher proof extracts better); 1 tablespoon dried gentian root (the primary bittering agent — available online or at herbal supply shops); 1 teaspoon dried orange peel; 1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces; 5 whole cloves; 5 whole allspice berries; 1 teaspoon coriander seeds; ½ teaspoon black peppercorns; 1 whole star anise; ¼ teaspoon dried chamomile flowers (optional); 1 small piece fresh ginger (½ inch), sliced; *For the sweetening (added after infusion):**; 2 tablespoons rich simple syrup (2:1 sugar to water)

Bitters are to cocktails what salt is to food — a few drops change everything. They're tinctures: alcohol extracts of roots, bark, spices, and botanicals. Making your own sounds like an advanced project, but it's really just patience. Combine things in a jar, wait, strain. The hardest part is waitin

Ingredients

1 cup (240 ml) high-proof bourbon or rye (100 proof / 50% ABV if possible — higher proof extracts better)

1 tablespoon dried gentian root (the primary bittering agent — available online or at herbal supply shops)

1 teaspoon dried orange peel

1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces

5 whole cloves

5 whole allspice berries

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

1 whole star anise

¼ teaspoon dried chamomile flowers (optional)

1 small piece fresh ginger (½ inch), sliced

*For the sweetening (added after infusion):**

2 tablespoons rich simple syrup (2:1 sugar to water)

Method

**Combine.** Place all the dry ingredients in a clean glass jar (a half-pint Mason jar works well). Pour the bourbon over them. Seal tightly.

**Infuse.** Store at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. Shake the jar once daily. Taste after 1 week — it should be intensely bitter and aromatic. Continue for 2-3 weeks total, tasting periodically. The gentian root provides the bitterness; the spices provide the complexity.

**Strain.** Pour through a fine-mesh sieve, then strain again through a coffee filter or cheesecloth for clarity. This takes patience — let it drip.

**Sweeten.** Stir in the rich simple syrup. This rounds the edges without making the bitters sweet. Taste and adjust.

**Bottle.** Transfer to small dropper bottles or dasher-top bottles. Label with the date.

*Use in:** Old fashioneds, manhattans, whiskey sours, or any cocktail that calls for Angostura. Use 2-4 dashes per drink.

*Storage:** Bitters keep at room temperature for 1 year or longer. The high alcohol content preserves them indefinitely. Like good wine, they improve over the first few months.

Why We Made This

We started Gathered Guides because drinks deserve better than neon-colored mixers and corn syrup. The Bar is for anyone who wants their cocktail hour to taste like something real.

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