On beautiful Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont, a small family company called Urban Moonshine is hard at work handcrafting their specialty organic herbal bitters. What are bitters, you may ask? Here’s a delightful history of bitters from the good folks at Urban Moonshine:
ÛÏCultures around the world have long believed that bitter flavors are essential to good health because they stimulate the digestive system. Thus began the tradition of steeping bitter-tasting roots, leaves, berries and fruits in alcohol and serving the mixture before or after a meal. Often the formula was accompanied by more pleasant tasting carminative herbs such as ginger, fennel, cardamom, or orange peel.
Whether brewed according to secret recipes by medieval monks or concocted according to oral tradition by wise women, the first bitters had medicinal purposes. Over time, the theory, if not the recipes, passed into the hands of apothecaries and on to the makers of 19th Century patent medicines. After bartenders discovered that bitters softened the often harsh liquors of the day, the cocktail was born. Until the late 1880s, any drink called a cocktail contained bittersÑthis includes such classics as the martini, the Manhattan and the Old-Fashioned. Only in the 1950s did the taste for bitters fade.Û
We’re offering Urban Moonshine’s delightful organic bitters in 2 sizesÑ2 oz. with a convenient dropper, and an 8.4 oz bulk size. An added bonus of the bulk size is its lovely, unique and reusable bottle. It looks like an old-fashioned patent medicine flask! When my bottle of bitters is empty, I’ll totally re-use it to package my own herbal concoctions.
Here’s Urban Moonshine’s recipe for a simple, refreshing aperitif using bitters:
1 teaspoon Urban Moonshine Bitters
1/2 teaspoon Chilled Sparkling Water
To dazzle the palate and stimulate digestion, serve to your friends, family and guests 10-15 minutes before meals. Enjoy!