Happiest · Zero-Proof

Homemade Non-Alcoholic Bitters

Name: Homemade Non-Alcoholic Bitters
Prep time: 203 min
Yield: About 1 cup (16 tbsp / roughly 48 dashes)
Ingredients: ½ cup food-grade vegetable glycerin; ¾ cup filtered water, boiled then cooled; 1 tbsp dried orange peel; 1 tsp dried lemon peel; ½ tsp culinary-grade dried gentian root; ½ tsp dried ginger; ½ tsp fennel seed, lightly crushed; 1 small cinnamon stick; 2 green cardamom pods, lightly cracked; 2 whole cloves; ½ tsp dried rosemary

Dried citrus, gentian, warm spice, and a few precise drops of structure.

About 1 cup (16 tbsp / roughly 48 dashes)20 minutes active, plus 3 days steepingClean, heat-safe jar or bottle

01 · What you need

Ingredients

½ cup food-grade vegetable glycerinFood-Grade Vegetable Glycerin
¾ cup filtered water, boiled then cooledFiltered Water, Boiled Then Cooled
1 tbsp dried orange peelDried Orange Peel
1 tsp dried lemon peelFresh Citrus Juice
½ tsp culinary-grade dried gentian rootCulinary-Grade Dried Gentian Root
½ tsp dried gingerGin
½ tsp fennel seed, lightly crushedFennel Seed, Lightly Crushed
1 small cinnamon stickCinnamon Stick
2 green cardamom pods, lightly crackedGreen Cardamom Pods, Lightly Cracked
2 whole clovesWhole Cloves
½ tsp dried rosemaryDried Rosemary

02 · Make it

Method

01
Wash a 16 oz heat-safe jar and its lid in hot, soapy water, rinse well, and let both air-dry completely. Use only culinary-grade botanicals from a reputable food supplier; do not substitute wild-harvested roots, bark, or peels.
02
Add the dried citrus, gentian, ginger, fennel, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and rosemary to the dry jar. Pour in the glycerin and cooled water, then stir with a clean spoon until every botanical is wet.
03
Seal, label with the date, and refrigerate for 3 days. Shake the jar once a day to keep the botanicals moving; do not leave this low-acid, alcohol-free infusion at room temperature.
04
On day 3, strain through a fine-mesh sieve, then strain again through a damp coffee filter or tightly woven cloth. Do not squeeze the solids, which can make the bitters muddy and harsh.
05
Bottle the clear liquid in a clean, sealed dash bottle or small jar and refrigerate promptly. Start with 2 to 4 dashes (about ⅛ tsp) per drink; add a dash at a time, because gentian arrives quickly.

Happiest note

Bitters are seasoning, not a pour. The right amount makes citrus taste brighter, sugar feel drier, and a simple glass feel considered.

03 · Use it well

Recommended uses

2 to 4 dashes in soda, tonic-style drinks, or a zero-proof Old Fashioned direction
A dash in orange, grapefruit, or ginger highballs when a drink needs structure
2 dashes in an Old Fashioned, Martini, or Manhattan-style cocktail in place of commercial aromatic bitters

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