Cocktail Bitters & How to Use Them!
Vložit
- čas přidán 21. 08. 2024
- While many cocktails call for bitters in the recipe, many that don’t still benefit from a dash or two. So what are they and how do you use them?
Many of you have asked us to do a detailed look into bitters, and we definitely have to do that at some stage, but this episode is for those who perhaps only think of Angostura when it comes to bitters.
We live in a wonderful time for cocktail bitters, hopefully this episode will help you on your journey of discovery!
***
OUR ONLINE BARTENDING COURSE - MIX IT LIKE A PRO - IS OUT NOW!!
The Behind the Bar special offer price is now $29.00*, (usually $129*) just follow the link below and use launch code: behindthebar (if it doesn't embed automatically with the link).
This price gives you access for 60 days, but annual or lifetime purchases are also available.
*Prices may vary depending on which currency you use but discount percentages are the same. Discount will be applied automatically at checkout.
ioa.pxf.io/c/2...
About the course:
When someone says Make me a cocktail, are you: shaken to the very core, cause you don’t know where to begin? Or maybe stirred into action - but you can’t remember the key ingredients?
In this accredited cocktail course you’ll get expert tips to be a top-class cocktail mixer. You’ll be learning from mixology maestros from Behind The Bar.
What you will learn:
Learn how to study more effectively and efficiently. Discover:
Everything you need to know about mixology from setting up a bar to creating cocktail drinks
Essential bar ingredients and equipment to set up your bar
Discover what makes a good bartender who gives customers an awesome experience
Introduction to the original cocktails and how to make them
How to get a bar job - and hang on to it
What bad habits to avoid as a top bartender.
Requirements:
International Open Academy courses are designed for anyone with an interest in learning. No formal qualifications are required to study with us. Our courses are suitable if you want to learn new skills, start a new career, or if you’re already working in a particular industry and wish to upgrade your talents and enhance your resume.
***
If you like this episode please let us know with a thumbs up or even better, share it with your friends.
If you have any questions or something to add please join the conversation with a comment, and if you haven't already, hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode.
If you'd like to support us to keep making videos for you, you can by becoming a Patron through our Patreon page at / withcaradevine
or by visiting one of the many places you can find us online or IRL:
Website -
Facebook - / withcaradevine
Instagram - / withcaradevine
Twitter - / withcaradevine
Pinterest - www.pinterest....
and Bomba Bar (where I work) here - bombabar.com.au/
- / bombabar
***
Many thanks to all our Patreons who help keep this channel going, and especially our Local Fave & Top Shelf patrons:
Jay Gottschalk
Barclay Loftus
Edwin
James Kao
Jake
Colin Mann
Cara Marshall
Stephen Rawls
Sarah Cooper
Anurag Khandelwal
Jozefien Vergote
Tim A.
Joel Plavin
Wilson Skomal
Justin Thomas
Christine Cadorette
Jeffrey Piper
Gregory Kettle
Claes G
paranoiarodeo
Joel Belding
Paul Verberne
Tim Shulepov
Mr Andrew Price
Jess Bradbury
Gregory Mikesell
Sara Russell
ロコ Roco
Lee
Andrea Dudek
Micahel Schneider
Austin Liou
Yong Goh
Nicholas Fiennes
Jim Hutson
Bill
Mole Harris
Alys Gagnon
Carl Pullman
Maurizio Diaz
Anol Bhattacharya
Shawn Keith
Chris Weisel
Kyle Ellis
The World Needs Heroes
Øyvind
Ben Burch
Erin Simons
James Hendrix-Ward
Kevin McGlothlin
Jennifer Buchanan Rapach
John and Jeanna McCann
Beth Rose
Will Brandon
Jim Hogan
Edward J. Wrzesniewski
Rish
Tim McNally
Tarang Mittal
Tim
Joey Lynch
Adam Cline
Don Proctor
Manuel Cervera
Stephen Gouze
Michele Martin
Ravi Kakarala
James Seidl
Ken Blades
Christian Panhans
Anna Falk
Simon Hoenscheid
Joe Benigno
Mark Reedy
Larry Hyde
Nathan
Peter Kostap
Todd Fox
Jesse McGraw
Tom Garn
#withcaradevine #booze #bar #bartending #behindthebar
Bitters really are the key to elevating a cocktail from the standard as defined by the recipe to something that's truly memorable. And it's important to expand beyond just Angostura and orange bitters; something like a grapefruit bitter can totally change a drink like the negroni.
Sometimes, I'll add celery bitters to beef stew. Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters goes well in a double-shot of espresso. I have a bunch of other bottles of bitters, and I have barely tried them. I need to get on that.
I have made home-made key lime bitters. Sometimes I'll add them to a Moscow Mule, to give it more lime flavor.
I have to try celery bitters in beef stew. That sounds next level.
I could listen to you foever.
Whatching this Channel for knowledge and your voice! Greeting from Poland 🇵🇱
I would listen to Cara read the ingredient list and nutritional information from the label on a jar of Marmite. On repeat.
What a fantastic channel this is!
Absolutely.
Thanks James!
I think of bitters as seasoning, the « salt and pepper » of a drink. The same liquid ingredients can be transformed into a different drink by mixing up the bitters. Usually the results are « drink-worthy, » sometimes not, but it’s a fun learning experience. Great video once again.
I have to be careful of adding too much bitters. I always just want to give it one more dash and often less is more.
Wise words, and you can add in but not take away...
Short but packed full of great info this vid, kind of like the bitters we’re talking about :) It’s almost meta.
Haha!
Thanks for this. Would love to see a deep dive or bitters masterclass video at some point.
One thing to be mindful of, is most of the bitters that aren't made by angostura have one or more preservatives in them so make sure to check the ingredients before picking up a bottle.
Finally! I've been looking for a video like this for so long.
🇹🇹 thanks for shedding light on one ☝️ of the best things ever to come out from Trinidad & Tobago.
Angostura, Steel-pan, Calypso, Carnival,, Alphonso Ribero, Tatiana Ali, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Jadon Sancho, Machel Montano, Heather Headly, Stokley Carmichael, Dwight Yorke, Most of the Worlds hottest peppers, Doubles,, Some of the best Cocoa (Chocolate 🍫) in the World, etc, etc. 😜
I recently made a nice margarita with a pineapple, allspice, coconut bitter, along with a few drops of a chili bitter.
That sounds so good!! I would love to know specs if you have them and are willing to share!
@@imtheandylee I don't have very good measurements but I built the drink in the glass and stirred in ice:
Juice from 1 lime
Juice from 1/2 orange
~ 1/4 cup Cointreau
~ 1/3 cup tequila (Lunazul reposado)
1/2 dropper of Crude Bitters "Tiki 500" (coconut, pineapple, allspice)
5 drops of Crude Bitters "No No" (hot chili bitters)
No shaking, just mixed in the glass and stirred in ice.
Crude Bitters is a local-to-me bittery in North Carolina.
@@jameshaulenbeek5931 Sounds lovely, thanks so much!! Will have to give this a shot 🙂
A very much needed video and lesson. Really needed to learn these ingredients for nuance instead of just parroting them in a recipe. Cheers!
Thanks. The only bitters m familiar with Re Angostura - you’ve opened my eyes to many more, although here in Pennsylvania where the state controls liquor distribution and sales, other types are limited. I’ll have to browse the shelves next time I enter one of the Fine Wine & Spirits shops here in Philadelphia.
I could listen to you forever.
This is a great video for people like me who is trying to buy more and more bitters every time that I go to the store. Cheers !
Fantastic Bitters and where to use them
Just started my bitters journey recently... My fave so far is Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Bitters in my Old Fashioned. It's cinnamon-heavy and seems sweeter than Angostura, but that appeals to me! Looking forward to trying a few others soon!
Definitely much sweeter a more Christmassy which is fun 😊
Well done Cara, an excellent show. I tend to use bitters when specified but not when outside the recipe.
A great example of how they enhance a drink is the Vieux Carre with 2 dashes of bot Angostura and Pechauds. I dread to think how the drink would taste without the bitters.
Nick from York
Definitely!
I guess this was the introduction to bitters most of us were waiting for! I love it!
That was a really helpful one. Pitched at just the right level for a broad audience.
Thank You.. & Hi from northeast Alabama.....
Thank you, always use bitters but never had a good understanding
So now you know. What a great informative channel and the narrative is interesting
Thanks David!
Great video Ms Cara, didn't know anything about bitters, just part of a recipe, now the why, will appreciate them more in your videos, My Queen!!! Always, very educational, always learning, Thanks Ms Cara!!!
🙌 Thank You Cara 💕 I certainly Appreciate this!! 🙌
I make my Cuba Libre with añejo rum instead of white rum, a splash of lime juice and 2 dashes of Angostura. It's so good
Your channel is so instructive and your videos are a joy to watch. Thank you, this is what makes YT great.
Thanks so much pal, that means a lot!
Excellent, as always! Keep it up!
Thanks pal!
Nice one , thank you .
Hi Cara
Your book Strong Sweet Bitter arrived in my letter box yesterday in Scotland Dunblane and as such I’m looking forward to delving through the pages.
I’ve enjoyed your channel and wish you every success in your ventures only disappointed that so many Scots have to leave home to be successful 🏴 Slainte
Thank you so much for the support!
Thank you 🙏
Well done. Can watch and listen to you all day.
The alabazam is another cocktail where bitters really are the star of the show. I took a hint from Jamie Boudreau’s book and stir instead of shake (even though it has lemon juice). Really makes all the difference in appearance and mouthfeel.
Ooh I haven’t tried that, I’ll have to give it a go!
@@BehindtheBar
45ml cognac
15ml Cointreau (may have to add sugar if you use Marionette)
7.5ml simple syrup (2:1)
7.5ml lemon juice
7.5ml Angostura bitters
So now you know lol
You always enlight us with this kind of videos, I absolutely love them! Thank you so much!
Something I didn’t know I needed so much
Angustura rocks ❤
I love a bit of bitter in my Gin Tonic. Tastes amazing whith fresh lime. I used old school london dry and floral herb tonic water, it tastes a bit like turpentine and whith some bitters it tastes like a sour sprucetree.
Never seen 3 of the bitters you showed! Going to check them out and maybe order them to my home bar! 🤩
Will you make a video on Angustura's bitter-based cocktails?
Ooh haven’t done yet but could go on the list for sure!
Interesting to catch a glimpse of you at work. I hope to see it for myself one of these years. Obviously not staged, based on how hassled you look 😄
Haha it was pre Covid times too so proper busy 😓!
Bitter drops help's get rid of hick ups
I even just like having a few dashes of bitters in some sparkling water
One of my favourite mid shift pick me ups is a lemon lime and bitters 😊
@@BehindtheBar very Australian!
I’ve been planning for ages to make my own bitters at home.
It hurt my feelings when you said “you forget about it as soon as you’ve swallowed.” Other than my hurt feelings it was a good video. I highly recommend fee brothers barrel aged bitters in anything that you’d normally use angostura
My favourite shop carries hundreds of different bitters
I could listen to her talk for hours
Great video as always! Didn't see the link for the international open academy - can you post it? Thanks!
It's there now!
Peychaud's bitters are synonymous with New Orleans cocktails. The sazerac wouldnt be a Sazerac without a few dashes of those bitters!
I’m going to try some bitters in cooking recipes.
This videos perfect. Ty
Nice video. I may have to go find a bottle of the Aphrodite bitters - all the flavors you mentioned are right up my alley.
I've supported a couple Kickstarter campaigns for people starting to make craft bitters (as well as shrubs and syrups). I've experimented substituting a couple of them in for Angostura in a Manhattan with pretty good results. Any thoughts for a good use for Black Currant and Cocoa bitters or maybe Tart Cherry and Saffron?
Ooh the black currant one makes me think of rum right away- in a rum Old Fashioned or to add some interest to something like a Daiquiri or Dark & Stormy. The saffron one would be beautiful with gin I’d imagine, again spice up something simple like a Tom Collins 😋
Another vote for a bitters deep dive here. Weirdly enough, Ango is hard to find in my area so I've never had it around the house. I'm curious how exactly it differs from Fee Bros or Peychaud's. I absolutely love Fee's Walnut Bitters in a Manhattan or Godfather.
Huh, that is interesting! It’s a heavier flavour than Peychauds which has a nice cherry sweetness to it. Angostura is really woody (clove, cinnamon) so closer to your walnut bitters but without the walnut haha!
Can someone please recommend me the perfect bitters for a rum Manhattan
Angostura will definitely work but you could try a chocolatey or nutty one to highlight those flavours!
Good info thank you.
Nice!
What drink is being shown at 0:24 with Pusser's and Fee's Black Walnut Bitters? Two things I have on my bar that I'm always looking for new ways to use...
Thanks for the entertaining, informative content as always.
Thanks Mike. That one's the Treacle, another Dick Bradsell treat. czcams.com/video/95o_aB9t3BI/video.html
I'm finding it difficult to get my hands on bitters from local shops so I still haven't experimented with any. One question: do they actually as bitterness to the drink? Because it turns out I don't really like bitter cocktails like a Negroni or Aperol Spritz. Would it still make sense to get some bitters to add to more fruity/tropical drinks?
They do add a little bitterness but in a much less discernible way- you use them in much smaller quantities as well, so they’re much easier to balance.
I’m brand new to this
Welcome! Lots to learn 😉
Great video. I am new to the hobby game. Wondering if a Manhattan with rye whiskey would be good to try with celery bitters? Thinking of how New York has the Dr Brown's "Cel-Ray" soda, usually a good soda to have (or a black cherry soda) with a pastrami on rye
Could you cover the use of shrubs in a future video?
We have shrubs and syrups in the works actually!
Need help. What can i use instead of Picon, to make a Brooklyn? Seems to be hard to find in my part of the world. Love your channel.🍸
Unfortunately Picon is pretty tricky to find and that’s why a Brooklyn is such a treat if you can get your hands on it or find a bar that can! The closest is to use something like Montenegro and add a couple of dashes orange bitters too
Open Academy Bartending link is missing in the description area
It's there now, thanks for letting us know!
Bitters has always been the dark little corner of cocktails i havent quite ventured into yet. Where are good places to buy bitters that are more than the typical orange, paychud and Angostura?
It depends where you are pal- if you’re in Australia The Bitters Lab in Melbourne is awesome and ships nationwide I believe. Elsewhere you’d have to try and find a similar independent bottle shop or direct from the producers (some like The Bitter Truth have a list of online stockists too). Otherwise Amazon!
@@BehindtheBar Thank you so much. Yeah silly of me to not mention I am from Melbourne! I will definitely have to window shop The bitters lab and get some goodies!
On the other hand, I wanted to ask what you'd recommend to recreate the Vesper Martini; since there's no way I can get Kina L'Aero d'Or here (the usual problem, sigh) and I think I've seen somewhere that Angostura bitters could be used instead, but nevertheless, I wanted an expert's advice about this issue.
Cocchi Americano works well as it has some bitterness as well but otherwise yeah, some angostura or orange bitters along with your Lillet should do the job!
I love the Anchor accent. Wow. What's her name?
It’s Cara Devine, as in Behind the Bar with…haha! And the accent is Scottish.
So how do you measure a dash ? Is it a hard shake for a dash ? I read 1/8 teaspoon but that’s a PIA to do.
I just do a shake, don’t stress too much about it!
Is there a bitters that you might recommend that doesn't have a strong anise flavor? I don't particularly like the taste of anise and Angostura is quite heavy on that. From what I read so is Peychauds
Hmm I don’t honestly get heaps of aniseed from Ango but Peychauds definitely does. Maybe try Fee Bros Old Fashioned bitters? It’s very cinnamon/woody spice heavy and works most places Ango or Peychauds would!
If I drink something simple like vodka and a fruit liquer mixed with sprite that's not really a cocktail is there something I should be adding to make it a little less sweet ?
Adding a squeeze of fresh citrus always helps, or try switching out the sprite etc for plain (club) soda which still lengthens and gives you bubbles but doesn’t add any more sweetness. Have a look at these for some inspiration:
czcams.com/video/XioqjQlJRWM/video.htmlsi=wrWTk_do01Fkbrgi
czcams.com/video/XZTUlOWvcic/video.htmlsi=44pucL0moN6rWfX4
czcams.com/video/-Z0ifJD9ARc/video.htmlsi=IEC1Cqp9AOWvp7mf
Hi I gat absinthe bitters. The question is what kind of cocktails I I can us?
Best regards from Poland 🇵🇱
Yum! I’d think they’d be really versatile, absinthe goes so well with most spirits. I’d use them in tropical drinks for a little savoury edge, or just use them instead of the rinse in something like a Corpse Reviver 😊
My sister gave me a bottle of Fee Brothers plum bitters and I would love hearing what I can use it for? I haven’t figured it out yet?
Oh fun! Fruit bitters are great for just a bit of a twist on things, like adding them to a Tom Collins or Whiskey Sour. You could really lean into it by making a plum syrup! Plums also go well with nuts so trying it with an amaretto sour could be fun 😊
@@BehindtheBar I tried making a whiskey sour with my plum bitters last night. The plum enhanced the whiskey without being too forward. Yay! I’ve had this bottle for at least three years. Now, I don’t think it’s going to last through the holidays!
0:07 off topic, but it doesn't make a big difference, if the peel is in the Negroni, does it? :o
Sorry pal I’m not sure I understand?
@@BehindtheBar sorry😅 Somehow it made more sense at the time, when i sent it.
At 0:07 in the intro shot, you put a an orange twist on top of an ice block of what looks like a Negroni, (looks really cool :D), but I always put the peels in the drink.
Is the peel just for aesthetics and does not have a noticeable impact on the drink? :o
@@gintonic5770 it's so the guest can decide if they want it in the drink.
🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹 Best
“That is what makes an unforgettable cocktail”
until you are too drunk to remember it
Any comments on cocoa bitters?
Big fan in whisky and rum drinks! We have a local one from Mr Bitters which is cacao and macadamia and I use it a lot.
Should bitters be refrigerated?
Great question! No need, they are based on neutral spirit so nice and stable.
Do you know what types are Underberg, Boonekamp bitters from Germany? Can they be a decent substitute for Angostura?
Absolutely, they have a more savoury bitterness from the gentian so use sparingly and build up from there.
@@BehindtheBar I tried your Old Fashioned cocktail with the German bitters. It turned out lovely. Thanks
2:20 Did you just mention _Pisco Sour_ ?
Chiles most traditional drink 😍
I know what a pisco sour is. And, Chilean? _Eeeeehh..._
I did! Definitely need to cover it. I thought it was Peruvian? Might need to do some research haha
@@BehindtheBar yes, it's Peruvian (:
Which bitters would be better to use for gin with gingerale?
I like just Angostura with ginger - I always add some to my Dark & Stormy! Otherwise Orange bitters could be good to add another flavour element 😊
@@BehindtheBar thank you so much for your reply ☺
Six views, 10 likes?
I always use Orange Bitters with my Martini's
Especially when I’m doing a twist! I think you were one of the first haha
the only thing missing in the video is how to store them right ???
Bitters are generally high in alcohol so pretty stable - they’re fine stored as you usually would your spirits, out of direct sunlight, but don’t need to be in the fridge or anything. Some smaller batch ones will ‘flock’ a bit with changes in temperature (I.e. go a little cloudy), but that doesn’t mean you can’t use them 😊
Thank you, really educational with the added bonus that you are incredibly beautiful 😊
It's not a cocktail if it does not contain bitters. 3 ingredients minimum. Spirits, sugar and bitters. All others are simply mixed drinks.
That is the 1806 definition!
God damn, that's a beautiful accent
Fantastic review. Your cute
Been making a few old fashioned's wondered about taking a shot of angostura.
Don't recommend
Haha don’t try this at home!