degrees with sugar.
Bitters Bitters are modern descendents of
medicinal herbal brews that were first made
with wine. Purely bitter ingredients include
angostura (Galipea cusparia), a South
American relative of the citrus family,
Chinese rhubarb root, and gentian (Gentiana
species); plant materials that are both bitter
and aromatic include wormwood, chamomile,
bitter orange peel, saffron, bitter almond, and
myrrh (Commifera molmol). Most bitter
alcohols are complex mixtures. They may be
made by macerating the plant material or by
distilling it along with the source of alcohol.
Among the bitters commonly used today are
Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters, condiment-
like 19th century formulations that are added
to mixed drinks and foods as a flavor accent,
and such drinkable aperitifs and digestifs as
Campari (unusually sweet) and Fernet Branca.
Some Examples of Flavored Alcohols