As someone who has needed to navigate the world of challenging and limited diets, I often depend on bitters to encourage the healthy digestion my body so regularly denies me. When I "oops" on something that doesn’t settle well with my tummy, I reach for one of my favorite bitters. If there isn’t a bottle of Urban Moonshine’s Original formula around, I make my own!

When making a bitter, I think of it in three parts; bitter, aromatic, and citrus. While generally all of the ingredients will have a bitter quality to them, this model helps me craft an enjoyable bitter sans extra sweeteners.

BITTERS INGREDIENT BREAKDOWN

Organic bitter herbs:

Artichoke leaf, Oregon grape root, blue vervain, gentian root, dandelion leaf, yellow dock root, motherwort, etc.

Organic aromatic herbs:

Cardamom pods, star anise pods, cinnamon sticks, clove, cedar leaf, ginger root, hops flowers, lavender flowers, lemongrass, pink peppercorns, fennel seeds, etc.

Organic citrus:

Orange peel, lemon peel, lime peel, grapefruit peel, etc.

I always start with one choice from each category. Once you have a nice bitter foundation you can easily determine what might complement the flavors. Complicated bitters don’t always mean a more effective recipe. Simple is my go-to.

ARTICHOKE BITTERS RECIPE

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp organic artichoke leaf
• 1 Tbsp organic orange peel
• 1 Tbsp organic cardamom pods
• 4 oz. organic vodka (80 proof)

Directions

1. Place each herb or citrus in their own small glass bottle with cork top or mason jar.
2. Cover each herb with vodka (roughly 4 oz)
3. Cork the top and let it sit for 3 days to 2 weeks, shaking gently once a day. You’ll be surprised with how quickly the flavors start to take over! Let sit until it’s as strong a flavor as you like.
4. Strain herbs using our stainless steel funnel with strainer and combine equal parts of each extract into a ½ oz amber glass bottle with dropper top.

A COUPLE DRIPS OF BITTER AROMATICS TOO MUCH FOR YOU? TRY A BITTERS SODA!

• 8 oz carbonated water/club soda on the rocks
• 1-2 squirts of Artichoke Leaf Bitters