DELICIOUSLY BITTER TRUTHS
Jägermeister Germany $36.99 117101
Digestif-style Bitters Think of a post-meal bitter digestivo/ digestif as a stomach-settling, palate-cleansing punctuation to a meal, to pour after dessert. Collectively, bitter drinks are known as amari (the plural of amaro ) in Italian, and one of the most robust styles is a fernet. Formulated with bitter plants like myrrh and rhubarb, these elixirs are darkly bitter and complex, sweetened and balanced with flavours like mint and saffron. Similarly, in Germany 90 years ago, Curt Mast formulated local herbs into the drink that became Jägermeister. The complex blend of 56 plants, roots and fruits is an ideal fall nightcap.
How to Serve Pour 1 to 2 oz (30 to 60 ml) in a chilled liqueur glass or over ice and garnish with a twist of lemon or orange peel. A dash is also wonderful in espresso or cold brew.
This green bottle yields bold, green herbaceous flavours with a nose of more delicate flowers and fruits. Gentle, rooty bitterness marries the sweet caramel finish.
Fernet-Branca Bitters Italy $34.99 674119 500 ml
Dark, deeply bitter and complex, this bitter’s strong mint and licorice flavours greet juicy citrus and smooth toffee notes, from maturation time in oak barrels.
Did you know? Fernet-Branca is a key ingredient in an Old-Fashioned variation known as a Toronto, made with rye whisky, Angostura cocktail bitters and a touch of sweetener. See page 84 for more on classic cocktails.
Cocktail-mixing Bitters Today we’re in an era of complex bitter cocktails that bartenders balance with fruity, smoky or savoury tastes. Versatile bitter spirits bring bold botanicals and
How to Serve Replace red vermouth with Amaro Montenegro in a Manhattan or Negroni, or mix it tall with ginger beer or tonic over ice. Although Chartreuse is 55 percent alcohol by volume, it’s sweet and sippable over plenty of ice and is essential in a Last Word.
often smooth, barrel-aged flavours along with their lingering finish.
Chartreuse Green France $49.99 37333 375 ml The sharp bright-green colour has become synonymous with this spirit. A burst of herbaceous flavour and evergreen mint complement the dry, tea-like finish. and herbs bring grown-up root beer aromas to mind. Flavours of zesty coriander and clove balance the bittersweet complexity. Amaro Montenegro Italy $42.99 601484 Fruity cherry and citrus plus vanilla
In modern-classic bitter cocktails, bourbon replaces the Negroni’s gin in a Boulevardier (equal parts spirit, Campari and red vermouth), a trick that also works with amaro. Similarly, the Paper Plane, made from whisky, bitters and lemon, is a riff on the classic Last Word cocktail, mixed from gin, lime and Chartreuse. Made from over 130 secret plant ingredients, Chartreuse gives an herbaceous and lightly bitter bite to this and other cocktails.
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