635358 Thu Jul 09 17:15:46 -0700 2009 10 36 Spirits 0 4844628 Just started my first batch in a nice 375ml corked bottle. Used to hold a half bottle of tequila. - Fill with grain alcohol - Funky white raisins from the chinese supermarket - 8 saffron threads - 3 allspice berries - 8 Sichuan peppercorns - Piece dried tangerine peel - 1 whole walnut meat toasted - 4 regular peppercorns - 1 smallish stick true cinnamon (not cassia) - 4 cardomon pods crushes - 1 small star anise crushed - One nice 5 second grind of nutmeg - 3 clove buds - 1/2 TSP Gentian - 1/2 TSP grains of paradise - 1/4 TSP chichona - 1/4 TSP wormwood - 1/2 TSP valerian - 2 small bay leaves - zest of one meyer lemon - zest of one lime Gonna wait at least 2 weeks. Thinking of adding a dash to some Cava. Not a manly drink, but bet it'll rock. Also maybe just a dash in some cold gin. Then certainly with gin and a spritz of citrus, served very cold. It's gonna be a long 2 weeks. Thu Jul 09 17:15:47 -0700 2009 10169 StriperGuy 1 4844747 Wow, what a recipe! Never in a million years would I have come up with this for bitters. The valerian will surely help you get through the next two weeks, if you don't have to work that is. Thu Jul 09 17:51:44 -0700 2009 4844628 138009 Chefpaulo 2 4844854 I just googled it is a mild sedative, but what else more then that? Thu Jul 09 18:42:06 -0700 2009 4844747 10169 StriperGuy 3 5169929 That's it. I'm sure you noticed it smelled a bit like bad feet, right? That said, I've had it homemade in a tincture with nothing more than some vokda and it tasted pretty awesome. Tue Nov 10 08:26:19 -0800 2009 4844854 13592 isadorasmama 1 4846123 This recipe sounds great. Don't forget to add some caramel after straining and before bottling to round out the flavors (melt 3 - 6 oz. of sugar, add the same volume of water and stir, let cool, then add to your strained bitters). FYI, I always strain my bitters through a cheesecloth and then a coffee filter to get out as much sediment as possible. I use mason jars for steeping, and pour off the whole jar into a measuring cup, stick a cheesecloth-lined funnel into said jar and pour them back in. I repeat the same process, this time with a coffee filter in the funnel. Then I add the COOLED sugar syrup (hot sugar + 190 proof alcohol = bad news), stir/shake the jar, and let it incorporate for a day or so before decanting into 50 ml shaker bottles I got online somewhere. If you'd like to trade, I've made grapefruit, sassparilla (one bottle of which is behind the bar at Drink - ask Sam or Ben about them!), anise/absinthe, and lime/lemongrass. Fri Jul 10 08:33:10 -0700 2009 4844628 243219 craigasaurus 1 5125468 wondering where you came up with this recipe? i've made a few different batches of my own invention and read dozens of recipes in books and online and never saw anything quite like this. i can't really imagine what the finished taste of this is supposed to be? Fri Oct 23 10:38:04 -0700 2009 4844628 1118571 wormwood 2 5125493 Tastes kind of good. Complex, a hint of anis comes through, spicey. Fri Oct 23 10:45:54 -0700 2009 5125468 10169 StriperGuy 1 5132686 I would like to start my own bitters. The fruit, baking spices, and Chinese spices are easy to find. May I ask where you found the more exotic, bittering spices? The gentian, grains of paradise, chichona, wormwood, valerian, etc. Mon Oct 26 15:00:15 -0700 2009 4844628 71633 jerryc123 2 5132730 Most of em I got at a funky witch/herbalist shop in Salem, MA. You Mon Oct 26 15:14:33 -0700 2009 5132686 10169 StriperGuy 2 5164846 www.pennherb.com is great for sourcing all kinds of common and hard to find botanicals. Sun Nov 08 07:41:28 -0800 2009 5132686 10732 JMF 3 5169506 Thank you, JMF, that was EXACTLY what I have been looking for! Tue Nov 10 05:20:28 -0800 2009 5164846 71633 jerryc123