It’s no secret. There are many new companies making bitters these days and we couldn’t be more thankful. Competition is not only good for the soul, it continually challenges us to put out the best product we can. So, what distinguishes Scrappy’s from the rest? It’s a question that occurred to me when I was out tasting bitters at a specialty shop which has an impressive collection of bitters. I am always curios to taste what the new stuff is like since there was only one other company making a variety of bitters when I launched Scrappy’s in 2008. I had just tasted a brand of bitters when the gentleman leading the tasting mentioned that I had just sampled his favorite brand. I instantly knew he was no expert. The bitters I had tasted were pleasant on the palate, but their subtleties were almost too obvious. Bitters on their own should be, at the very least, on the cusp of being unpleasant. Bitters should be bitter or they will never round out a cocktail. A few drops of bitters should add boldness and intensity to a cocktail, not to mention aromatics. A good test would be to make an Old Fashioned or Martinez with bitters using inexpensive whisky or gin; the bitters should make your cocktail smother and add a bit of flavor.
Methods for tasting include, but are not limited to: On their own – place a couple of drops on the back side of your hand and lick them off. Bitters should be bitter and very strong in flavor. With soda – add a few drops to 5-8 ounces of soda water.(for enhanced flavor, add a few drops of simple syrup). This simulates alcohol in that the bitters should be present in flavor in the soda alone and similar to a dry soda with the addition of syrup. For aromatics – place a couple of drops in the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together to warm the bitters and then smell. The bitters should be quite aromatic enveloping your olfactory.