Cocktails With Homemade Bitters Tasting

I’m not a cocktail drinker. Growing up Seventh Day Adventist, there wasn’t a lot of exposure to alcohol so I never developed a taste for it. But, experimenting with bitters got me interested in some Mad-Men style cocktails. Prior to this, my experience with bitters and alcohol was the French 75.

After making homemade bitters, we decided it was time to put them to the test. We made two versions of classic cocktails, the Old Fashioned and the Sazerac. One version was made with bitters, and one without. Then we did a blind taste-test with some members of the Bramble Berry Studio to see if we could figure out which cocktail had bitters and which one didn't.  Everyone was scored on their ability to correctly chose which version of each cocktail had the bitters and shared their thoughts.

Circular AM.png

Anne-Marie, CEO
1/2

Enter the classic - the Old Fashioned! Whoa! That was strong. It burned going down but, after a few sips, I could see why people were attracted to the liquid fire. The bitters added depth and flavor to the drink. Bitters are a staple in any respectable mixologist’s kit. I think the bitters provided extra oomf – the Sazerac one was super obvious to me. My favorite drinks are bulletproof coffee, tea and La Croix. In the alcohol range, it’s a Pinot Noir or a French Champagne. I’m a sucker for delicate bubbles and scarcity. If it’s straight up hard liquor, a high end tequila (neat) to sip on or a fine Islay-region Scotch (on the rocks) is my choice.

 
Circular AK.png

Amanda, Creative Director
1/2

I like whiskey, so I enjoyed both cocktails. But the Old Fashioned had some extra sweetness, so that was my favorite. I had a hard time tasting the difference between the cocktails that had bitters and the drinks that didn't. The Old Fashioned had a little more complexity, but the other cocktail was all whiskey! 

 
Circular KR.png

Kayla, Marketing Coordinator
0/2

All I could taste was alcohol....

 

Amber, Chief Marketing Officer
1/2

The bitters didn't provide extra oomf, and I'm surprised because I buy bitters. I like plain carbonated water with bitters added – so then you can taste them. As far as cocktails, I really like gin drinks. And Prosecco with bitters added – and I feel I can taste them then. But maybe I add a lot.

Celebrating Bitters, In The StudioCome Make With Mebitters, cocktails, tasting, cocktail tasting, old fashioned, sazerac, handmadeComment