DIY Bitters

Fair Winds Press, a division of the Quarto publishing group, puts out this guide on making your own herbal bitters and cocktail mixers. It's over 200 pages, and includes detailed recipes on a wide range of bitters (and beyond). But what I was most excited about in putting this book together was the attention to individual ingredients: the list includes over 100 botanicals, with specific details on flavor and tasting notes, extraction techniques, history and folklore, and medicinal applications.
If you're blending your own extracts from herbs you grow or buy, you can begin to build a comprehensive library of flavor, texture, color and story to dazzle your palate and entertain your guests. Imagine the layers of experience in a home-blended lemon balm herbal cocktail: not only a story of the lemon balm you harvested, but also how the plant was considered a beekeper's hidden secret, how it alleviates tension and anxiety, and what chemistry it holds. Learn to apply a well-defined vocabulary of flavor and mouthfeel. And explore the possibility that drinks might be more than just nicely-flavored intoxicants: using the recipes in this book, you can create low-alcohol spritzers and mixes that showcase the bright, diverse flavors of these botanical ingredients, but also leverage their medicinal uses. If you're a bartender, you can expand your flavor library easily and effectively. If you're an herbalist, the guide will bring in creative ideas for bringing medicinal plants to the table.

For more information on DIY Bitters, visit the Urban Moonshine book information page. Find it on IndieBound, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.

"A book about bitters is so sweet! Whether you are new to the idea of imbibing bitters daily for its many benefits, or a longtime fan,DIY Bitters will take you to a new level of appreciation. Jovial and Guido's book is by far the best book on the joys of bitters for digestive and immune health and so much more. It is the most practical, beautiful, and thorough book ever written on bitters. It would take a book to tell you all about the many uses and benefits of bitters for promoting health and relieving common symptoms we all experience like digestive discomforts, and fortunately, Jovial and Guido have written that book!"
--Christopher Hobbs, Ph.D., herbalist and author

“Bitters anyone? This book brings bitters back home to their rightful place in the kitchen and medicine chest. A visually stunning and brilliantly written book that bridges science and folklore, DIY Bitters weaves common sense and facts into a fascinating compendium of practical, usable information. The authors, both dedicated herbalists, are exceptionally skilled in their craft. They not only introduce us to this marvelous group of plants and their numerous health benefits, but also lead us into the magic of plant chemistry, teach us how to discern and utilize the various flavors of bitters, and introduce us to the fine art of blending and formulating.  The recipe section is the best! Imagine making your own amari,  Rose Bitter Pastilles, Barolo Chinato, or Bloody Mary Bitters . This book is fun, informative, and exceptionally well written. It will go a long way in bringing bitters—and herbs—back  to the American household, where they rightfully belong. “

—Rosemary Gladstar, herbalist and author

“A  gorgeously photographed and beautifully written book on the benefits of bitters. It will inspire one to create bitter plant potions to benefit health and vitality. A dose of bitter can help life seem sweeter.”

—Brigitte Mars, www.brigittemars.com, author of The Country Almanac of Home Remedies and The Home Reference to Holistic Health and Healing.