A new golden age for bitters

Bitters. This
sharp-flavored, slightly medicinal liqueur, originally used as an aperitif,
remains one of the defining ingredients in many classic cocktails, including the
Manhattan,
the Pink Gin, the Champagne
Cocktail, and the Sazerac. Some
popular herbal liqueurs, such as Campari
and Jägermeister,
are essentially just big bottles of bitters. But bitters had fallen on hard
times, with most bars stocking only one brand, Angostura, or, if they
were particularly sophisticated (or Southern), a second option, Peychaud’s. Orange bitters, once an
essential ingredient in the Martini, were
forgotten and impossible to purchase. Times have changed, with companies such as
Fee Brothers, Regan’s,
the Bitter Truth, and even Angostura,
releasing their own versions of the orange stuff. In fact, bitters in enjoying
something of a renaissance, with bars experimenting with making their
own.
Hobbyists, in the meanwhile, are reviving
lost
recipes.