In our current drinks issue, we profile Laura Maniec, owner of Corkbuzz Wine Studio and the youngest female Master Sommelier in the world. Corkbuzz has created somewhat of a wine empire, but recently, they’ve gone beyond the bottle with their newest concoction: bitters.
In the recipe below, Corkbuzz’s head bartender Chris Walsh gives his ten-day process for making bitters. Better yet, he tells you how to use them in his cocktail The Dark Side.
Corkbuzz Bitters
Ingredients:
Rye Whiskey
Grains of Paradise
Wormwood
Lemongrass
Red cherries
Preparation:
1. Add 4 oz. of Rye (we recommend Rittenhouse Overproof), 5 cherries, a pinch of lemongrass, a pinch of grain of paradise and worm wood to a mason jar and steep for seven days.
2. After seven days, remove cherries but leave all other ingredients.
3. Three days later, remove all other ingredients. Add 1.5oz of water to cut the strength down, and then rough strain the mixture into an eyedropper.
4. The recipe can vary: steep longer for bolder flavors or add more water to cut it down further.
The Dark Side
Ingredients:
2 oz bulleit whiskey
1 oz bonal
1 bar spoon aperol
2 dashes bitters
Preparation:
Stir and strain all ingredients over a large ice cube in a lowball. Garnish with a pinch of salt.
