Bitters

[squire]

Fee Brothers (founded 1864), certainly, but to make a proper Sazerac cocktail one must use the original Peychaud's bitters available from the founders, Jung & Wolff in New Orleans. Used in the original cocktail in the early 1800s, Given a Diploma of Honor at the Grand Exhibition of Altona-Germany in 1869, and numerous awards since, this bitters received a Gold Medal in the St. Louis Exhibition of 1904 that also honored the "gentleman from Tennessee', Jack Daniel. Manhattan, anyone?

I should mention that Peychaud's bitters have actually been around since the early 1800s and were used early on to spice up brandy based drinks.

Squire

[jbaker]

Fernet-Branca is fantastic, but is off-putting at first. For me it has this weird "lifted" menthol character that floats above the rest of the aromas of browned herbs and leather. I use it as a bitter and as a beverage bitter. We found, through experimentation, that Ginger Beer is a great pair for it...if you like spicy drinks! Another cool cocktail that it takes well to came out of necescity this past summer: Lemoncello, fernet and San Pellegrino (in descending order of percentage). Tastes like iced tea if you do it right.

Love Campari and also Amaro Melleti. If you find Melleti, it'll probably be dusty, but not to bad for the time. It's sweeter than Campari, but marries well with San Pellegrino.

Has anyone tried Becherovka (Czech Republic)? Curious about that one.

[texascarl]

You can buy Angostura and other non-potable bitters in the grocery 7 days a week because they're non-potable. Deemed 'unfit to drink' in their current form, so the bluenose set isn't worried that you'll get drunk on them. It's frankly easier to get drunk on Listerine.
The Regans talked about having to doctor up their orange bitters in order to pass a non-potability test with the authorities. Gary Regans' first batch or two were too 'drinkable'.

[ILLfarmboy]

...The Regans talked about having to doctor up their orange bitters in order to pass a non-potability test with the authorities. Gary Regans' first batch or two were too 'drinkable'.

That would have been a sight. A panel of government tasters seeing just how easy or difficult it is to stomach drinking bitters just by itself.

[jbaker]

If anyone in the Boston area is looking for Regan's Orange Bitters or Peychaud's Bitters, we just ordered some directly from Buffalo Trace (Sazerac) and have enough to share. PM me if you are interested.

[Slob]

I just received my Regan's Orange, to add to my collection of Angostura, Peychaud's, and the Fee's six-pack. I am absolutely crazy about this stuff. I've been putting bitters in almost everything I drink. I turned chocolate pudding into mint chocolate pudding with the Fee's Mint. I've been rubbing it on steaks. I got my dopey friends at the bar to drop some in their Amstels. I think I have a serious problem. Any other bitters out there you guys recommend?

[scratchline]

Bitter Truth Bitters are terrific. Have to pay to get them from Germany, but IMO it's worth it. I recently received some Hermes Orange Bitters from Japan and they're also very good. And keep your eyes peeled for these products in the future:

http://bittermens.com/the-bitters/

Of course, I've been waiting for the Angostura Orange forever, so in the world of bitters things happen slowly if at all.

-Mike

[OldJack]

Fee's mint bitters make for a great glass of sweet tea and can help lazy bums like me make a julep-like drink without all the muddling. Great stuff.

The slightest slpash of Fee Bros. orange bitters are a nice accent to BT on the rocks or any bourbon and coke.