Better to Be Bitter

Transcription

Better to Be Bitter

© Kathy Casey Food Studios® - Liquid Kitchen ™ - IACP 2011
What is it?
Chances are… there is a bottle behind the bar right now
•Simply bitters are a spirit based infusion of a number of herbs, spices, fruits,
and aromatics. (some are nonalcoholic)
•Bitters add a another layer of flavor to cocktails….and food.
•Consider bitters to be the salt and pepper or the soy sauce of the beverage
world.
•Bitters also have the potential to be a powerful balancing agent in the
kitchen.
•Bitters have a rich history in the US and in Europe that is centuries old.
•More than just a cure for hiccups.
•Peychaud‟s, Angostura, Regan‟s are practically household names
Bitter History: An American Tale
In the 1800‟s the development of bitters came about in two very different manners.
The First:
Developed by pharmacists, sold as a daily tonic for a range of
ailments and proposed health benefits.
•Angostura: developed in Venezuela in 1824 - produced in
Trinidad as a stomach ailment remedy. Later becomes most
commonly used bitters
•Rum based, bittered by gentian, dominating flavors of
cinnamon, clove, orange peel, and coffee.
• Peychaud’s: created in early1800s by apothecary extraordinaire
Antoine Amedee Peychaud in New Orleans.
• Based on neutral spirit, bittered with gentian and carrying
light flavors of anise and cherry. Distinctive red color. Classic
ingredient in the original Sazerac cocktail.
The Second:
A nefarious concoction sold by traveling salesmen with plenty
of medicinal promise with no bona fide consistency.
Viral Marketing: 1800’s Style
Guide to becoming a successful Snake-Oiler:
1.Invest about $7.00 to print a couple hundred flyers promoting
your “Miracle Cure-All”.
2.“Formulate” your elixir by mixing moonshine and a variety of
“medicinal herbs”.. i.e. anything you can get your hands on that
tastes awful.
3.Send scouts ahead to disperse flyers and start “buzz”. Spouting
testimonials, (you may need one previously blind „patient‟)
4. Roll into town selling to the desperate and the gullible for .50
cents a bottle.
5. Move on as quickly as possible, before the townsfolk realize they
have been duped.
6.Change the label and repeat…moving West.
7.Retire to California and open up a brothel.
By 1903, selling bitters as a medicinal remedy had become
outlawed. Because of the transient nature of the product there are
many “lost” recipes for American Bitters.... but who is to say they
are worth reviving?
Amaro: A More Developed History
Amaro: The more complex European counterpart to the American Bitters.
Amaro means “bitter” in Italian.
•Bitters have a long and noble history in Europe
dating back at the very least to the medicinal
brews of medieval monasteries.
•Monks grew herbs, dried them and worked
them into special elixirs according to secret
recipes.
•European bitters are unique to the region where
the ingredients are grown and distilled. People
have a vested interest in the quality, care and
integrity that goes into the final product, unlike
the traveling sales man approach that occurred
in early America.
•Examples are: Averna, Amaro Nonino,
Ramazzottia and the “now- hip w mixologists”
Fernet-Branca (Fernet may contain: cardamom, saffron, codeine,
mushrooms, beets, cocoa, gentian)
How Bitters Get Bitter
Distillation:
Using pot stills, the blend of
herbs are distilled with a base spirit to draw out as much flavor as possible.
Infusion: Most commonly herbs are
combined in a base alcohol and left
to set. Often the more powerful
ingredients are infused separately
and added back to control the
balance.
Potable vs. Non Potable
There are two types of bitters used in cocktails:
Non- Potable
• Not intended to be consumed
alone due to strong flavors and
high alcohol content. (usually
between 70 and 90 proof).
• Allows them to be sold in grocery
stores and on the internet and
really anyone can make and sell
them these days.
• Measured in dashes to round
out a drink.
Angostura, Peychaud's, Bitter
Truth and Regan's
Potable
• Poured as a aperitif or digestif to
stimulate appetite or aid
digestion.
• Can be consumed straight or
mixed into cocktails.
• Sweetened to balance flavor,
and more enjoyable flavor.
Fernet-Branca, Jägermeister,
and Campari, Averna, Cynar
Bitters Heavy Drinks
A few drinks stand to contradict the theory that bitters can only be measured by the dash:
The Trinidad Special, the Trinidad Sour, and the
Stormy Mia Tia (calls for 1 1/2 oz of Angostura!)
Trinidad Sour
•
•
•
•
1 oz Angostura Aromatic
bitters
1 oz orgeat syrup
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz rye
Shake well with ice and fine
strain in to a cocktail glass.
Bartender Giuseppe Gonzalez of Clover Club
and Dutch Kills created this drink.
The drink was created by Giuseppe when he
and Damon Dyer of Flatiron Lounge were
playing around with the Trinidad Especial and
swapping out various ingredients for the pisco
(which is in the Especial). In the end they
chose rye.
Though this cocktail has a ton of bitters in it …
it is amazingly well balanced.
A Little Drop Will Do Ya
Other Uses for Bitters
Though bitters can no longer be sold legally as health
remedies, many people still turn to them for just that
purpose. Here are a few of the more common (if
unscientific) applications:
• Hiccups
Take a lemon wedge, coat it in sugar, then douse it
with some bitters. Bite down, and your hiccups are
supposed to disappear.
• Upset Stomach
A few dashes of bitters added to a glass of club soda
or ginger ale may cure indigestion… a hangover
helper too!
• Mosquito Repellent?
Did you not know that this is the best mosquito
repellent? It keeps away all the mosquitoes!
• Everything Else
It is suggested that a few dashes will cure anything
from a big hangover, a headache.. to the flu.
The Early Bitters
Angostura Bitters:
Possibly the most popular brand of bitters, Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, a
German doctor, in Angostura, Venezuela in 1824 created this secret blend of
tropical herbs and plants with the intent of curing a variety of illnesses.
The brand is now produced in Trinidad and the blend is still a well-kept, but
much appreciated secret. The oversized, awkward label has also become a
trademark of the brand.
-Rum based, bittered by gentian, carries dominating flavors of cinnamon,
clove, orange peel, and coffee.
Peychaud’s Bitters:
Antoine Peychaud was an apothecary in 1830's New Orleans who began his
mixing career after hours in his pharmacy.
It was at that time that Peychaud mixed up his secret-recipe bitters with brandy
and absinthe and created the first Sazerac, a cocktail that defined and
influenced future cocktails.
- Neutral spirit, bittered with gentian and carries a light flavor of anise
and cherry.
Fee Brothers Bitters:
Produced in Rochester New York since the 1950's. The bitters rose in
popularity with the distinction of being one of the most diverse lines of bitters.
-Non Alcoholic: flavors include of celery, grapefruit, mint, peach, lemon,
chocolate, old fashioned and whiskey barrel aged.
New Century Bitters
We learned about old the classic Angostura & Peychaud's..today there are bitters being
made by many companies enthusiasts. They range from classic to flavorful and fun.
Regan’s No.6 Bitters:
One of the newest bitters on the scene, Regan‟s Orange Bitters No. 6 is a shining
star in the cocktail world. The idea was that of cocktail experts and authors Gary and
Mardee Regan, who in the 1990's wanted a better orange bitters. The result is a
versatile bitter of orange peel, cardamom, caraway, coriander and other herbs
inspired by an old recipe
-Neutral spirit; exceptionally rich and carries the flavors of coriander,
cardamom, and orange including orange peel
Bitterman’s Bitter Truth
The Bitter Truth was founded in 2006 by Stephan Berg and Alexander Hauck out of
the frustration of being unable to find quality cocktail bitters in the European market.
Since then, The Bitter Truth has expanded its portfolio to include other flavorings,
liqueurs and spirits.
-They offer various flavors from the Lost Celery Bitters to a rich Xocolatl Mole
that exemplifies the subtle character of bitter chocolate.
Stirrings Blood Orange Bitters
A lighter style modern day bitters.
- Non alcoholic; mellower, a little sweeter with a nice blood orange color.
Hometown or Homemade
Many bars and bartenders are experimenting with their own blends and distributing
locally. Like in the 1800‟s some are better than others.
The Bitter Challenge...
At each Person’s Setting:
bitters place mat
tasting glass of 1 oz bourbon
•
tasting
glass of 1 oz vodka
•
bottle of chilled soda
bottle of chilled ginger ale
5 stir sticks
small tasting cup of each bitters:
Angostura
Peychaud's
Fee Brothers Old Fashioned
Gary Regan‟s Orange
Bitter Truth Mole
Kathy Casey Golden Era
On each Table:
ice bucket with ice and scoop
bottle of Angostura
bottle of Peychaud‟s
bottle of Fee Brothers Old
Fashioned
bottle of Liquid Kitchen Golden Era
tray of bitters aromatics w tags
40-50 extra plastic glasses
glass of pipettes
unique bitters
Soda Water
Bitters Flight:
Vodka
Kathy Casey
Golden Era
Gary Regan‟s
Orange
Ginger
Ale
Bourbon
Angostura
Peychaud's
Fee Brothers
Old
Fashioned
How to taste bitters:
•I like to clap a drop between my hands and smell it first.
•Then taste with soda water.
•Then experiment in bourbon and vodka, soda and ginger ale.
Bitter Truth
Mole
Craft Your Own Blend
There are as many methods as there are mixologists, but the most important thing is how
the bitters perform in a cocktail.
Alcohol:
• Use spirits with a high alcohol content, choose between neutral, such as grain alcohol
or vodka, or a base that will impart it‟s own flavors as well; such as rye or rum.
• Higher-proof alcohols extract flavor more quickly but can leave a harsh aftertaste.
Aromatics:
• Personalize your bitters and experiment, consider robust flavor profiles heavy in
aromatics. Fruits, spices, chocolate nibs, coffee, herbs….
• We use bittering agents such as gentian, cinchona, angelica root and citrus peels
with lots of pith!
• Use a scale! Measure carefully, bitter herbs are potent and a can overwhelm, it is
important to have a concise recipe.
Aging and Agitating:
• Key steps in flavor development, more time is not always better.
– Aging (or steeping) helps extract flavor. Too little time and your bitters will be flat;
too much and they‟ll be unbalanced.
– Agitating (giving the mixture a shake every now and then) ensures that flavors
are dispersed throughout the mix, with no unexpected taste spikes
Straining and Storage:
• Strain slowly through multiple layers of cheese cloth for clarity and flavor.
• Store in glass and keep from sunlight or extreme heat to maintain flavor.
Let’s look at a tray of ingredients!
The resurgence of pre-Prohibition cocktail crafting inspired us to
concoct our own bitters blend, while staying true to the traditions
the creation is rooted in.
Our first Bitters: Golden Era - 98107 - Harvest
Let‟s Drink a Cocktail
(rī)1 Number One Manhattan
Makes 1 cocktail
• 1 1/2 oz (rī)1 rye whiskey
• 3/4 oz St. Germain liqueur
• 3/4 oz Noilly Prat sweet red vermouth
• dash of Bitters
• Garnish: Orange Disk
In a pint mixing glass, measure in spirits, add bitters.
Fill glass 3/4 full of ice and stir swiftly for 20 seconds.
Strain into a martini glass. Spritz orange disk over
top of drink.
Spiced Citrus Bitters Template
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
24 grams ginger, fresh
150 grams fresh fruit
5 grams whole or cracked warm spices such as, star anise pods,
cinnamon etc
13.5 grams dried orange peel
3 grams coriander seeds, crushed
1.5 grams cardamom seeds, crushed
1.4 grams gentian root, dried pieces
0.5 grams powdered cinchona
0.35 grams Kosher salt
schizandra berry
35 grams sliced lemon, grapefruit or orange peel
1 1/2 cups vodka or spiced rum
The aromatics play just as much a role as
the bitter herbs…….
The „Flavor Pot‟ of herbs and spices
focuses on the bitter and aromatic
qualities each brings to the infusion.
Gentian, Cardamom, Anise, Schizandra
Berry, Orange Peel, Hibiscus, Fennel, Fir,
Citrus, Cinchona are a few of our selected
ingredients
To the .01 to be exact…..
We measured ingredients to the hundredth of a gram. To
extract the most of their natural essence, we toasted some
herbs, crushed others, before combining with the alcohol.
No trees were harmed in the making of these
bitters… 98107
Douglas fir has a sweet gin-like
aroma and a bitter flavor, making
it our inspiration for 98107
(Ballard‟s zip code).
We collected small samples from
trees in our backyard garden.
When taking bark from a tree, never cut
around the circumference; it will kill the tree.
Cut small oval samples as a tree‟s bark
heals by pulling the bark back around itself.
Burnt sugar adds its own bittersweet
element… to Golden Era
If color is any indication, we are on the right
track…. Marionberries, Douglas Fir ….
The color and texture
combinations are too
beautiful to ignore.
Bitters in the sun for a photo… it’s going to be
good!
The three mashes….
Each one has its own distinct colorful and textural charm.
Playing make-believe with heat and humidity…
We used our Rational oven to
simulate Deep South temperature
and humidity. The jars spend their
days in 80% humidity, and a balmy
89 degrees.
Straining the mash…
The beauty of bitters…
After they‟ve been strained and filtered, they‟re
bottled and enjoyed.
Thank you…and remember – it’s
sometimes better to be bitter!
@KathyCaseyChef
Check out Kathy’s Blog:
Dishing with Kathy Casey
www.kathycasey.com/blog

Better to Be Bitter

Transcription

Similar documents

View Presentation

Welcome to 15 Baycliffe Drive - Spotlight

Classic Cocktails 11-13

The Brimi Cuisine Education Office is a joint effort

Merchants NY Cigar Bar!

Queen Sponsors

annual summer social - Pikes Peak Paralegals

Is There A Cocktail In My Movie