DRINKS // Bitters
An Employees Only cocktail
Tiny but mighty
An Employees Only manhattan
Bitters are often the smallest component of a cocktail in volumetric terms, but they pack a punch well above their paygrade. WORDS Madeline Woolway
IN RESPONSE TO a reader’s letter, the
it’s a little bit sweet, but the bitterness
Repository wrote in 1806 that a cocktail
sweetness and keeps you drinking more.
editor of The Balance, and Columbian consisted of four elements: spirits,
water, sugar and bitters. But according
to Employees Only’s Robert Krueger, it’s
launched in 2004, choices were limited.
The bitters are the punctuation — they’re
and a company called Fee Brothers,”
the thing that lingers.”
not that simple anymore. “The term has
While there are now countless varieties
cocktail,” says Krueger. “Bitters are in the
Peychaud’s Bitters are essential, along with
broadened from the original definition of definition of a cocktail, though.”
Bitters aren’t just in the definition;
available, for Krueger, Angostura and orange bitters.
Andrea Gualdi of Maybe Frank and
they’re often the defining element. Bitters
Maybe Sammy in Sydney agrees. “Aromatic
only by the dash, but they can change the
classic cocktails,” he says. “The classics
may be the smallest component, used
character of a drink for better or worse.
The pocket rocket behind many classics, from the old fashioned and the sazerac
to the Manhattan, bitters are responsible for a well-balanced cocktail. “Take the
Manhattan,” says Krueger. “On the whole, 20 | Hospitality
When Employees Only New York
is the finish. It’s what balances out the
bitters are a must have, especially for
“We could get Angostura, Peychaud’s
says Krueger. “Over the next five years,
boutique bitters operations opened up all over the globe.”
Using bitters to their potential has
always required a deft touch — just a dash can be the difference between success and
failure. The introduction of new variations has both opened doors for bartenders and complicated the world of mixology.
Making the most of aromatic bitters
we use are Angostura and Peychaud’s.
comes down to a combination of strong
celery and orange, of course. If you want
experimentation. Krueger’s advice? “I say
Then we have grapefruit bitters, coffee,
to have a bar, you at least need Angostura, Peychaud’s and orange bitters. Everything else is a plus.”
foundational knowledge and fearless
grab a range of different bitters that pique
your interest. Take one cocktail and split it
up into multiple glasses and treat each one
