Under twinkling lights, bathed in the glow of firelight (or at least a cosy, warm radiator) what better way to celebrate the festive season than with Christmas cocktails.
You can dream of sipping a Manhattan in Manhattan, ordering your Martini shaken not stirred, or going retro with a seriously sophisticated Old Fashioned.
Either way, your party tipple is almost certain to have the added zip provided by that most mysterious of blends, the bitters.
What are bitters?
Humans have been drinking alcohol mixed with aromatic herbs and spices for centuries, albeit under the guise of medicine, and cocktails that require a little dash of bitters number in the hundreds, or possibly even thousands.
Of course America lays claim to being the birthplace of the cocktail and there are some recorded references in the early 1800s of drinks made with spirits, sugar, water and bitters.
But the line between medicinal potion and party drink is very blurred.
The first cocktails
Legend has it that the first American cocktail was the Sazerac, made in 1838 in New Orleans by the apothecary Antoine Peychaud.
He served brandy mixed with his own infusion of herbs to his friends in an egg-cup – called a coquetier in Creole. This name supposedly changed into ‘cocktail’.
True or not, Peychaud’s bitters soon became a popular addition to many hard liquor shots. And Sazerac is now the official cocktail of the city of New Orleans.
Traditional Sazerac cocktail recipe
Rinse the glass in absinthe before mixing
• 1 sugar cube
• 1/2 teaspoon cold water
• 3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 1/4 ounces rye whiskey
• 1 1/4 ounces cognac
• Garnish with lemon peel
The first printed cocktail recipes in Britain came in 1869 with the publication of William Terrington’s Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks.
He has a chapter dedicated to making your own bitters, as well as singing the praises of the cocktail.
‘Cocktails are compounds very much used by early birds to fortify the inner man and by those who like their fortifications hot and strong’
Terrington’s whisky cocktail:
• 1/2 gill whisky
• 1 teaspoon of bitters
• 2 drops essence of cinnamon
• sweeten with syrup
• 1/2 pound of ice, pounded
The Dean of cocktail shakers
You can’t celebrate cocktails without paying tribute to Harry Craddock, author of The Savoy Cocktail Book – a collection of 750 recipes published in 1930.
English-born Harry learned his bar-tending trade in the United States in the 1870s before returning to Britain during prohibition.
During his time at the Savoy in London, he is credited with creating a number of classic cocktails, including the famous Corpse Reviver Number 2 and the White Lady.
Best of the bitters
There’s plenty of choice for bitters to add that certain something to your cocktail.
Aperol for a spritz, orange for a citrus twist or chocolate, vanilla, melon, nut, habanero, and chamomile for something out of the ordinary.
Angostura is the best known of all the bitters – a source of national pride for the Caribbean twin state of Trinidad and Tobago.
They were created in 1824 by Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, a German army surgeon, while he was stationed in Venezuela in the town of Angostura (now called Ciudad Bolivar). He used them as a cure for the troops’ tummy troubles.
Locals say that the list of ingredients is known to only five individuals at any time – one of whom is said to be the English monarch! All five are meant to agree on when the bitters can be made – so there’s no risk of over-production.
Others say that five people hold only part of the recipe, and that they must come together before a new batch is created.
To preserve the secret recipe, the ingredients are said to arrive at the island in unmarked containers.
And what’s the story behind that oversize paper label?
It’s a mistake.
When Johann Siegert died the business passed to his sons who put the bitters forward for a competition. One decided to design a new bottle, the other a new label. They didn’t consult each other about size, and the result was a total mismatch.
They entered the competition anyway and a brand was born.
Peychaud’s Bitters, are almost as famous, and are still made by the American Sazerac company.
They’re similar to the better-known Angostura Bitters but a little lighter and sweeter with notes of candied cherry, clove, orange and a hint of anise and mint.
They’re also slightly less alcoholic at 70% proof.
Christmas cocktails made with bitters
Number one across the world remains the Old Fashioned
• 2 oz Bourbon Whiskey
• 2 dashes Bitters
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• 1 twist Orange
The Manhattan is always in the top 10
• 2 ounces bourbon or rye
• 1 ounce sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 dash orange bitters
• Garnish with a cherry
And then there’s the classic Martini of the 1950s
• 1/2 vermouth
• 1/2 gin
• 1 dash orange bitters
• Shaken, not stirred
Not just for cocktails …
Don’t keep those bitters stashed in the drinks cupboard in between festivities – you can use them in dozens of ways to perk up all sorts of dishes.
They’ll give your hot chocolate extra zip on a cold winter’s evening, or how about adding them to pulled pork or pumpkin pie?
A few drops of bitters will revive a wilting fruit salad, add a little extra to stews and sauces and make salad dressings a little bit special – all very good news for the 12 Days of Leftovers!
You can even add them to home-made ice-cream.
Today’s chefs are rediscovering their use – check out Angostura Bitters own site for up-to-date recipe ideas.
But Pork Belly is far more into cake than cocktails, so he went a bit nostalgic and found a recipe from the 1960s, curated by one of his favourite celebrity cooks, Marguerite Patten.
It’s a delicious chocolate spice cake made with Angostura Bitters and a special Port o’ Spain frosting.
Perfect!
If you’ve enjoyed browsing our website, learned something new, or just had a smile because of what we do – we’d love your support to keep the good stuff brewing!
Where to next?
• Dairy-free eggnog
• History of trifle
• Vintage Christmas sweets