Bitter (bitters)

Bitter denotes spirits and flavour extracts whose taste is shaped by bitter compounds. These come from plants such as gentian, cinchona bark, bitter orange or wormwood. There are drinking bitters taken as aperitif or digestif, and concentrated cocktail bitters dosed by the drop.

Well-known styles are Italian amari, aperitivo and herbal bitters. Alcohol content varies widely, from about 15 to over 40 percent ABV. In the bar a few dashes of bitters are often an important part of classic drinks such as the Old Fashioned or Manhattan. The recipes are usually closely guarded.