Rose Pepper Bitters

INGREDIENTS:
- 20 ml Rose Pepper
- 20 ml Dried Elderflower Blossoms
(Black Elder)
- 20 ml Dried Greater Celandine Herb
- 20 ml Dried Chestnut Blossoms
(European horse chestnut)

- 240 ml Vodka (ABV 60%)

PREPARATION:

• Combine the herbs and spices in an airtight container.
• Pour in the vodka and seal the container.
• Keep in a dark place for at least a month (your liquor cabinet will do perfectly).
• Gently shake the container once every day to stir things up a bit and help it infuse.
• After one month, strain the solids out and, optionally, run the liquid through a coffee filter.
• Store the bitters in a bottle in a dark cabinet. It should hold for a very very long time.

NOTE:

I used my jigger to measure quantities of herbs and spices in millilitres instead of grams. I did that primarily because dried herbs are incredibly light a barely register on a normal kitchen scale. So, unless you have a highly accurate set of scales intended for weighing small quantities, just use your jigger. Simply fill it up with herbs and spices and give it a gentle press, to make sure you have reached the maximum capacity.

This was one of my first attempts at infusing / creating something resembling cocktail bitters. I have started by gathering herbs that are traditionally used for teas back in my home country. I guessed that it will not be commonly used in cocktails, so perhaps I can create something new and interesting.

In the beginning I infused each of the herbs and spices separately, then mixed different infusion together, tasted them. Repeating the process many times, making small tweaks each time in order to blend my own cocktail bitters. It was true, tested trial and error method taking its own sweet time. However, this type of experimentation offered a lot of flexibility, since I did not have a specific recipe in mind when I started. If you thinking about making your own unique bitters, I would recommend this method.

After tasting my different combinations, I eventually ended up with these particular specs. Greater Celandine acts as a natural bittering agent with deep grassy notes. Elderflower and chestnut blossoms add an aromatic aspect with complex and bitter aftertaste. Rose pepper is probably the most pronounced spice in this bitter. It bites sharply in the beginning and then it’s fruity notes blend with the rest of the ingredients.

I’m not sure how to qualify these bitters. It is not aromatic bitters, but when needed it can take the cocktail in a slightly different direction and add a little pep to it’s step.