Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Boker's Bitters

Key Flavour: A rootsy blend of caradmom, quassia bark, and bitter orange.

Produced by: Evo-lution Bar Consultancy, from Aberdeen, Scotland.

About the producers:  The Bokers bitters is not new to the market; John G. Bokers started producing this mixture back in 1828. However, many bitters producers did not survive the 1920s prohibition, since most bitters are inbued in high proof alcohol. After Boker's is forcefully discontinued, the only mentioned of it was the odd ebay auction and in the recipes of Prof. Jerry Thomas, the bartender famous for the bible of cocktails: The Bar-Tender's Guide / The Bon-Vivant’s Companion.

How I like to use it: When I taste this bitter, the first thing is Chinotto, also know as Brio. For those of you unlucky yet to try Chinotto, it's a slightly bitter italian soda I drink when I get good pizza in Toronto. Whereas Chinotto is one step more bitter than cola, then bokers is one step more bitter than Chinotto. Take advantage of the dry flavouring of the quassia root balancing out the mellow flowers and orange peel, with cardamom pulling it all in the background. It's not the sweetest of bitters, but very full-flavoured, so you may want to mix something sugary into your cocktail to even the taste.

Bottle: Stubby brown glass bottle with a shaker spout but be careful! The bitters flow quickly through. 100 ml capacity. The label is brown with black handwritten font, and a small-font story printed on the back.

Potency (How many drops in 100ml soda until you can taste it): Six drops.

Try it in this classic cocktail: How could you argue with the the godfather of Cocktails? Jerry Thomas recommends splashing this bitters into a japanese cocktail.

Suggested recipe: The B.F.G. (Winner at the Drambuie UK Cocktail Competition 2010)

40ml Drambuie
25ml Noilly Prat Rouge
10ml Laphroaig 10 year old
2 dashes Dr Adam Elmegirab's Boker's Bitters

Stir until ice cold and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Source: http://bokersbitters.co.uk/bokers_ver2.html

Bitters Review: Sarsaparilla Dry by Bad Dog Bitters

 

Key Flavour: delicious Sarsaparilla

Crafted by: Bad Dog Bar Craft, from Austin, Texas.



About the producers: Bad Dog Bar Craft was started by cocktail enthusiasts Lara Nixon and Jason Stevens created this concoction in Texas (under guidance of Laura's canine support group Penelope, Kyoshiro and Fiona). The logo on their bottle is actually a siloette of Penny, even though Penny really doesn't participate in the creation of the bitters. Currently, this team is producing two small batch (3-5 gallons) bitters: Fire and Damnation and Sarsaparilla Dry. More will be coming out in the future.

How I like to use it: I love taking advantage of thick root beer flavour when I pop this bitters into a glass. A splash of this reminds me of the trying real root beer, not the sugary canned junk, but the kind your grandpa makes when the grandkids are visiting for the summer. While I am not the first to reach for a dry cocktail, the subtle background of vanilla and woodsy herbs levels it out on the palate. Best use sarsaparilla dry to compliment full bodied spirits, or to add some bulk to a light cocktail.

Try it in this classic cocktail: A bourbon manhattan.

Bottle: Stubby brown glass bottle with a shaker spout. 118 ml capacity. Simple Brown and beige label (ingredients: water, alcohol, herbs and spices).

Potency (How many drops  in 100ml soda until you can taste it): Eight drops.

Try it in this classic cocktail: A bourbon manhattan.

Suggested recipe: The Ford Hybrid

Lara Nixon – Bad Dog Bar Craft
1 oz Old Tom Gin
1 oz blanc vermouth, mid-sweet such as Dolin Blanc
3 dashes orange bitters (Regan’s is preferred)
3 dashes Bad Dog Bar Craft Sarsaparilla Dry bitters
Maraschino cherry, to garnish
Combine all ingredients with ice in a pint glass and stir until chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a Luxardo maraschino cherry. If you can’t get a genuine maraschino cherry, please skip the cherry.

Source: http://www.baddogbarcraft.com/sarsaparilla/