#Bitters July 28

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Today for Day 28 of the 30-Day Ingredient Coach4aday Challenge looking to discover what is in BITTERS.

Growing up in the 1960’s I often would see adults consuming cocktails. Beverages from the 60’s are making a comeback in recent years. Drinks like a Manhattan, Old Fashion, Whiskey Sour, Tom Collins, and Dark n’ Stormy. Many of those cocktail recipes involved using BITTERS. Curiosity got me interested in what ingredients go into making BITTERS.

My father F.D. Kenney worked for NJ Bell as a repairman but also bartended with a group of friends (including Leo Padian) that had a catering/event business in Northern New Jersey. Their occasional big client was Jackie Kennedy Onassis who for an extended period of time after JFK death lived in and around Far Hills/Bernardsville/Peapack NJ.

Having a bartender in the house meant that I got to witness him concoct a lot of the cocktails mentioned above. The one he often concocted for friends was a Manhattan. He was a big fan of Rye Whiskey drinks.

Video of Manhattan

Bitter Ingredients

Gentian root is the main ingredient in Angostura Bitters. They have been around for hundreds of years.

You can purchase Bitters at many grocery stores. Yet there is a growing trend to actually make your own. I will say when I looked at everything that is needed it might be cost prohibitive to do this on a small scale.

This link is a great DIY if you are inclined to want to assembly a large list of ingredients and make your own.