Name: Old-Fashioned Aromatic Bitters
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: ¼ cup raisins , chopped; 2 tablespoons (½ ounce) dried orange peel; 2 tablespoons (½ ounce) gentian root chips; 2 tablespoons dried mugwort; 8 green cardamom pods; 10 allspice berries , lightly crushed; 4 whole cloves; 16 ounces 100-proof vodka; 1 ounce recipe

Why This Recipe Works

We started by infusing high-proof alcohol (both a solvent and a preservative) with flavoring agents—barks, roots, spices, herbs, flowers, fruits, and nuts—to create dozens of individual tinctures. We combined these tinctures into blends until we settled on one blend —woodsy and earthy, with notes of dried fruit plus just a hint of warm spice—that would be a perfect fit for cocktails such as the Old-Fashioned, Manhattan, and New-Fashioned Gin and Tonic. Then we switched to a straightforward method of combining our flavoring agents in a single jar and covering them with 100-proof vodka; we let the mixture steep for two weeks before straining and sweetening. After fine-tuning combinations, concentrations, infusion times, and sweetener amounts, we had our recipe.

Before You Begin

If you can't find 100-proof vodka, substitute 80-proof vodka, but add 1 week to the infusion time. We recommend storing your bitters in a cool, dark place to prevent oxidation. Gentian root chips and dried mugwort are bittering agents; you can purchase them, along with dried orange peel, online or in specialty spice shops; look for ¼-inch chips. You will need a quart-size glass jar with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.

Instructions

Place raisins, orange peel, gentian root chips, mugwort, cardamom pods, allspice berries, and cloves in quart-size glass jar. Add vodka, cover, and shake to combine. Store jar in cool, dark place for 2 weeks, shaking mixture once every other day.

Set fine-mesh strainer in medium bowl and line with triple layer of cheesecloth. Strain vodka through prepared strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Return infused vodka mixture to clean jar and add simple syrup. Cover and shake gently to combine. (Old-Fashioned Aromatic Bitters can be stored in cool, dark place for up to 1 year.)