With summer in full swing, it seems like there are new events being added to the calendar every day, often revolving around good food and even better drinks. In preparation of hosting my own gatherings this summer, I met with Brandon Reyes, the general manager at Bittercube and part-owner of Heirloom Liqueurs, to learn more about bitters, a game-changing but often misunderstood component of most mixed drinks.
Bittercube, a slow-crafted, Milwaukee-based bitters company with distribution in 30 states across the US, prides themselves on using only raw botanicals in their bitters. Each new botanical ingredient undergoes an intense analysis of aroma and flavor to determine the quality of the ingredient and whether or not it is fit for use in a Bittercube recipe. Brandon explained some of the lengths they go to for the sake of quality, including hand-burning sugar, rather than resorting to artificial caramel flavor. Though using only raw botanicals is much more involved than using artificial alternatives, Brandon believes the results are worth it, both in terms of flavor and quality of ingredients.
Once used primarily for medicinal purposes, primarily to help with digestive issues and stress, a bottle of bitters has been a staple in people’s pantries for centuries. Often composed of bitter-tasting herbs, bark and other botanicals steeped in alcohol, the tincture became one of the few alcoholic beverages still legal to sell during prohibition (for some more local bitters history please check out long-standing Nelsen’s Hall in Washington Island Door County). Overtime bitters moved behind the bar instead of living in the medicine cabinet, but those practicing alternative medicine still keep it on hand to this day.
“Bitters are shrouded in mystery,” Brandon tells me. “Pre-prohibition”, he elaborates, “bitters were more widely understood and used in both cocktails and medicine. But when prohibition started and American bartenders fled the country looking for work, they took their knowledge of bitters out of the country with them. Many bartenders never returned to the states, even after prohibition, and it has taken until now for bitters to work their way back into American culture.”
In addition to prohibition, Brandon attributes some of the lack of awareness around bitters to their complexity. Derived from dozens of herbal ingredients, some more common than others, Brandon finds that many people simply do not understand the ingredients in bitters or their purposes. He offers a few examples; most people are familiar with a common bitters ingredient, citrus. Gentian root, on the other hand, is a little less prolific in society. Not knowing the name, its flavor profile, or uses in traditional medicine, people are often wary of less familiar ingredients like gentian root, and other lesser-known botanicals.
Bittercube strives to demystify bitters by making them more accessible and approachable. Brandon described bitters as “a spice rack for your bar.” He thinks of bitters as “seasonings for drinks,” that add depth to cocktails. Launching later this year, Bittercube All Day Bitters is a new variety designed as an entry level bitters, one that is compatible with all types of drinks.
For summer gatherings, Brandon likes any drink with bubbles; he cites the Tom Collins as a classic summer drink. For a more unique twist and more depth, he modifies it with vermouth or a bitter liquor like Cynar. A summer staple, citrus also makes his list of must-haves for drinks this summer. He recommends using orange bitters in citrus-heavy and bubbly drinks, or the Jamaican No. 2 – a citrus-forward bitters that also combines clove, allspice, and hibiscus for extra brightening and cooling properties. For a tropical option, Brandon likes to incorporate Heirloom Liqueurs’ Pineapple Amaro into summer drinks, which features Wisconsin-grown ginseng!
Although the Bittercube family has grown to be distributed throughout the United States, Bittercube is committed to Milwaukee, and will be reopening their bar as part of the North Ave Market coming in August. Stop by for a drink, or visit them in person or online to pick up some bitters for your next summer gathering.
