DIY Bitters ─ Reviving the Forgotten Flavor: A Guide to Making Your Own Bitters: For Bartenders, Cocktail Enthusiasts and Herbalists

Make your own bitters at home to enhance your medicine cabinet, and your bar!

Used since the Middle Ages, bitters are made by combining various plant botanicals and/or spices with 100-proof alcohol and letting them sit until the bitter and medicinal qualities have been extracted. Just a small amount of the resulting liquid can then be used to stimulate the digestive system and promote healthy digestion. This is why "apertifs" and "digestifs" are so popular--both then and now!

DIY Bitters is a how-to guide that explores the history and health benefits of bitters, and shows you how to make your own bitters at home, to be used alone or in cocktails, tonics, and even main meals.

Herbalists Jovial King and Guido Mase, owners of the bitters company Urban Moonshine, teach you how to make recipes for classic bitters likeorange and angostura, or explore more innovative bitters like elderflower-echinacea-honey andchocolate love tonic. You can even find a guide for creating your own unique flavors from the plants and ingredients you have on hand.

Whether enjoyed as an apertif, digestif, or as a remedy to settle an upset stomach, bitters are back!

Jovial King is a family herbalist and co-founder & owner of Urban Moonshine (www.urbanmoonshine.com/). She has studied herbal medicine extensively with an array of renowned teachers, including Rosemary Gladstart, Brigitte Mars, and Christopher Hobbs. Jovial started Urban Moonshine in her kitchen and has grown the company into a strong presence within the natural supplements industry. She has appeared as an Herbal Expert blogger for Martha Stewart's Whole Living website, and Urban Moonshine has been featured in Food & Wine, Mother Earth Living, Fine Cooking, Imbibe, Epicurious, and more.

Guido Mase, R.H. is a clinical/registered herbalist and herbal educator, and co-founder of Urban Moonshine. He is the author ofThe Wild Medicine Solution.