Bitters have inspired cocktails for nearly 200 years — and now they’re back in vogue.

It’s that little bottle with the ill-fitting label that’s wedged into the darkest corner of your liquor cabinet. You’ve probably looked at it a thousand times and long since forgotten what the heck it’s for. But, before you toss it as part of an advanced strike on spring-cleaning, be aware that the little bottle of bitters is getting some big attention. Bitters have been around for nearly 200 years and have found their way into the cocktails of yesteryear as a signature bartender ingredient. Today, as part of the emerging speakeasy retro-trend, bitters are seeing a surge in popularity along with some of the most classic cocktails of all time.

Aptly named for its face-puckering flavour, it’s no coincidence that bitters came to the mixologist’s kit bag from the world of pharmacy. Classified as a tincture (alcohol base), bitters consist of various blends of herbs, roots and other pseudo-medicinal ingredients that have their properties extracted into the booze.

Throughout the 19th century, bitters were promoted as health tonics with stronger marketing cachet than even today’s energy drinks. They were touted to cure everything from diphtheria to ingrown toenails. While they may not have cured disease, at 94-proof (47 per cent alcohol) they certainly would have uplifted the spirits– and who are we to question doctor’s orders?

Around 1806 an enterprising bartender decided he could kick up the health tonic fad a notch by mixing bitters with a few other well know spiritual healers. The “bittered-fling” was born and the name quickly gave way to what we know today as the cocktail. The first print description quite succinctly described the cocktail as “spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters.”

At the height of the bitters rage — around 1870 — there were thousands of brands jostling for their chunk of the market. With clean water and refrigeration still a glint in someone’s eye it’s no surprise that stomach bitters (bitters marketed as a stomach remedy) led the way, offering something of a naturally pasteurized band-aid to the chronic gastrointestinal maladies of the day. Alas, the prohibition fuddy-duds threw a wet blanket on the party and by 1936 bitters companies were no longer viable.

Today only a handful of bitters remain and these mostly fall into the aromatic or citrus bitters categories. Angostura Aromatic Bitters is probably the most recognizable brand and is still broadly available after 180 years.

Peychauds Bitters lays claim to the southern U.S. and is considered the staple of the Sazerac cocktail. Citrus bitters, made by specialty companies like Fee Brothers or The Bitter Truth, are available online and have surged in popularity in places such as Australia, where lemon-lime bitters are now merely referred to as LLB.

If you have ever tasted bitters you will understand that much like a powerful spice, they are intended to be used sparingly. Under the right influence and in moderation, bitters will draw the flavours of a cocktail together, balancing the sweet with a salty edge, adding spice and wood tones for depth, or sour notes to linger on the finish.

Here are a few classic cocktails that will bring you back to those speakeasy days including the granddaddy of cocktails, the Sazerac (bartending legend says this was the cocktail that started it all).

The Sazerac

• 2 oz. rye whiskey
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• 5 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
• 2 dash Angostura Bitters
• 1/4 oz. Pernod
• 1 lemon twist

In a cocktail shaker filled 3/4 full of ice, stir together (do not shake) rye whiskey, simple syrup, Peychaud’s Bitters and Angostura bitters. Swirl Pernod in a chilled rock glass and strain contents of shaker into glass. Add a lemon twist for garnish.

Lime Rickey

• 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• 6-8 oz club soda
• 1 lime twist

Build all ingredients in an iced Collins glass and top with soda. Garnish with a twist of lime peel and serve.

Manhattan Cocktail

• 3/4 oz sweet vermouth
• 2-1/2 oz bourbon whiskey
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 1 maraschino cherry
• 1 twist orange peel

Combine vermouth, bourbon and bitters in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry and orange twist if desired.

Mint Julep

• 2 dashes Fee’s Mint Bitters
• 1/4 oz simple syrup
• 2 oz bourbon
• Mint sprig

Combine ingredients in a chilled Collins glass and stir. Garnish with mint sprigs and a straw.

More about bitters:

Angostura Bitters

Available at most grocery stores

Sazerac.com

Peychaud’s Bitters

Fee’s Bitters

Orange, Lemon, Peach, Aromatic, & Mint Bitters

The Bitter Truth

Orange Aromatic, and Lemon Bitters

First published at CanadianLiving.com