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They are not to be confused with bitter, a type of British ale.
Some of the different kinds of bitters used behind the bar are:
Both Angostura Bitters and Peychaud Bitters are compounds whose chief taste comes from gentian, a bitter herb.
Angostura Bitters was first compounded in Venezuela in 1824 by a German physician, who intended it as a remedy for stomach maladies. It was exported to England and to Trinidad, where it came to be used in a number of cocktails following its medicinal use by the British Navy in Pink Gin. Angostura and similar gentian bitters preparations are still of some value to settle a mild case of nausea or an upset stomach. Their use in cocktails, however, accounts for the vast majority of the sales. Angostura was named for the town of AngosturaAngostura was the name of the town in Eastern Venezuela that was renamed Ciudad Bolivar in 1846. The town lies at a narrowing of the River Orinoco and the name was a contraction of the town's full descriptive name, 'Santo Tome de Guayana de Angostura del in Venezuela. It contains no angostura bark , a medicinal bark which is named after the same town.
Peychaud's Bitters is associated with New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. By law and government, the city of New Orleans and the parish of Orleans Parish are one and the same 6. It is an industrial and distribution center, a major seaport, and, and can be difficult to find elsewhere. It, too, is a gentian based bitters, with a subtly different and sweeter taste than the Angostura brand. Peychaud's Bitters is associated with the SazeracThe Sazerac is one of the oldest known cocktails. To make a Sazerac, add one teaspoon of simple syrup, 3-4 dashes of Peychaud's bitters (Angostura bitters is not an acceptable substitute, although some people will add a dash of Angostura to the Peychaud's cocktail.
Orange bitters are made from the rinds of unripe oranges. They are called for in some older cocktail recipes.
Medicinal quantities of quinineQuinine CHNO, is a natural alkaloid having antipyretic, antimalarial and analgesic properties. It was formerly used in the prevention of malaria until supplanted by its derivatives quinacrine, chloroquine, and primaquine. Quinine may still be used to trea were occasionally used in old cocktail recipes. Quinine is still found in tonic waterA fizzy soft drink flavoured with quinine, tonic water or Indian tonic water gains its name from the medicinal effects of this slightly bitter flavouring. The quinine was added to the drink as a prophylactic against malaria, since it was originally intend, now found mostly in drinks with ginThis article concerns the beverage. For other uses see Gin (disambiguation Gin is a spirit, or strong alcoholic beverage. It is made from the distillation of white grain spirit and juniper berries (or sloe berries, in the case of sloe gin , which provide.