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Craft Cocktail Making: Theory and Structure of Bitterness

So far we’ve investigated the role that acidity and sugar play in the creation of craft cocktails. While sugar predates acidity in cocktail history, these building blocks can be thought of as a pair – acidity and sugar directly oppose each other. When sugar overpowers acidity, drinks become cloying and heavy. With the reverse, drinks are tart, thin, and unpleasant. It is only when sweetness and acidity balance each other that a cocktail takes on a savory deliciousness that I call tension.

The sweet-sour balance is not the only way to create a craft cocktail. Before the invention of the sour family, cocktails were merely spirit, sugar, water and bitters. This category of drinks, now best exemplified by the Old Fashioned derives their deliciousness through the mitigating effects of sugar on the bitterness of wood-aged spirits and bitters.

The previous articles have stayed clear of any serious chemistry. Unfortunately, bitter and alcohol have a lot going on that needs some explanations, and chemistry provides the language. [editor: Nerd warning. Suck it up.]

Recent Additions

  • Iberico — Gin, Dry vermouth, Almond liqueur, Bitters, Lemon juice
  • Lechuza — Mezcal, Drambuie, Crème de Banane, Peychaud's Bitters, Lime juice
  • Almaza — Gin, Sweet vermouth, Orange vermouth, Orange peel
  • Ousted — Irish whiskey, Pomegranate Liqueur, Campari, Bitters, Lime juice
  • Sequestered — Whiskey, Orange liqueur, Campari, Bitters, Lemon juice

Recent Discussion

  • Re Coasta de Morte, 1 day ago Shawn C commented:

    I made this a few years ago with Cocchi Americano and a regrettable choice for the Scotch. Cocchi is a hammer here, overpowering the Maurin Quina--too sweet and too intense in its cinnamon/quinine. I remade this as 1:1:1 into a Nick & Nora rather than as a lowball. Lillet blanc is too bland for my taste in most cocktails, so I used Cap Corse Blanc Quinquina which has a more balanced white wine and quinine character--more flavorful than Lillet, but not like Cocchi. I used Cutty Sark Prohibition this time and it worked well, flavorful yet mellow/sophisticated. As I made it I would rate it near 4.5 out of 5.

  • Re Puritan Cocktail, 2 days ago Shawn C commented:

    Tested the corrected recipe using Plymouth gin, Noilly Prat Original Dry (not extra-dry that is now the norm in the U.S. market), Yellow Chartreuse and Bitter Truth orange bitters. Balanced, yet complex for an otherwise drier cocktail. Herbal mint/alpine/juniper/anise along with bitter orange, and alcohol heat. Noilly original provides good white wine flavor and body underneath, and moderate wormwood bite to the finish.

  • Re Puritan Cocktail, 2 days ago Shawn C commented:

    Curated to correct name of original reference text, publisher, and year (1900 vs. 1926). Author not listed, but a 2009 recipe/discussion of the cocktail on Frederic Yarm's site indicates Fredrick L. Knowles was the author. I also corrected a substantial error in the recipe: rather than 1/2 barspoon of yellow Chartreuse it actually lists "one spoonful". Since modern bar spoon sizes vary and are often short or very short of a teaspoon, a half barspoon would be far too little, likely less than half the minimum correct recipe. I am listing this as 1 teaspoon. Teaspoonful and tablespoonful are listed many places in the book (primarily for sugar), "small spoonful" is listed once and "spoonful" alone is listed only in this cocktail--regrettably ambiguous. Tablespoon is unlikely as it would be more likely listed as "one-third" since ~two ounce cocktails were common. Also corrected ratio of gin to vermouth to 2:1, by upping vermouth to 3/4 oz.

  • Re Blazing Saddles, 2 days ago HallA commented:

    The chartreuse / St Germain one is a really a good one and this is wonderful.

  • Re Puritan Cocktail, 2 days ago Artur B commented:

    Swapped Chartreuse for Strega and double it.