The Bitters Truth

Reinventing bitters House-made concoctions give cocktails a signature spin

Camper English, Special to the Chronicle

Friday, January 19, 2007

Bitters, the cocktail flavoring agent once considered a crucial ingredient in drinks, fell out of favor after Prohibition. Though a few brands like Angostura and Peychaud's have been continually produced since their inception, most bitters makers closed up shop long ago.

With the recent classic cocktail revival, bartenders and home mixologists have renewed interest in the ingredient. Bartender Jennifer Colliau of San Francisco's Slanted Door says, "It may be that we've run out of ways to infuse vodka. Now there are more people who are interested in booze that tastes like booze. (Bitters) alter the flavor of the liquor but in an aromatic way, rather than adding sugar or acidity -- lemon or lime juice -- or adding a mixer like soda."

The classic Sazerac calls for Peychaud's bitters, the Manhattan and old-fashioned cocktails require Angostura, and an early version of the martini (now making a big comeback) requires orange bitters. With a variety of bitters to use, bartenders can put subtle spins on well-worn cocktails by swapping in one flavor of bitters for another. They can also use bitters in new cocktails to form a bridge between ingredients that don't align perfectly on their own.

Only a few brands of bitters have come on the market in recent years, including new fruit flavors from Fee Brothers and Chronicle Cocktailian columnist Gary Regan's Orange Bitters No. 6. But these and other sought-after bitters like the European brand Bitter Truth can be hard to find in the Bay Area, forcing consumers to call around or order the products online.

read the rest of the story here. When I was writing this story it was the holiday season and all the bitters were sold out around town. I was able to find several flavors of Fee Brothers' bitters at Plumpjack wines in Noe Valley, and I spoke with Domenic Venegas who works at John Walker & Sons downtown (as well as bartends at Bourbon & Branch and at Range). He says that they carry Regan's, the Fee Brothers' line, Angostura, Peychaud, and will be getting in the Bitter Truth bitters as well as some other European ones shortly. That might be your best bet for buying them in San Francisco. You can also buy bitters directly from the manufacturers. (Regan's are on the Buffalo Trace website.)