The 3 Best Locally-Produced Bitters In NYC
Brooklyn Hemispherical Bitters
Made in--you guessed it--Brooklyn by Jason Rowan and Mark Buettler, Brooklyn Hemispherical Bitters come in an array of exciting flavors which use seasonal and organic ingredients. Their newest flavor, blueberry, features berries picked fresh in Maine. Other flavors include Sriracha, Meyer Lemon, Strawberry, Rhubarb and Black Mission Fig. Find 4oz bottles for $19.95 at The Meadow, Formaggio Essex or Whisk.
A. B. Smeby Bittering Co.
Park Sloped-based A. B. Smeby Bittering Co., owned by Louis Smeby, was one of the first local small-batch bitters brands launched in NYC. His flavors feature New York-based ingredients such as Spiced Cranberry, Licorice-Nectarine, Hibiscus Rose and Black and White (which taste just like a black-and-white cookie). To ensure freshness, the bitters are sold in 60ml (2oz) bottles, and can be found in cocktails at bars such as The Modern, Ward III and PDT, or for sale by emailing info@absmebybitteringco.com.
Dutch's Colonial Cocktail Bitters
Recently launched by New York-based drinks writer and budding distiller Jonathan Forester, Dutch's Colonial Cocktail Bitters are an aromatic concoction of flavors based on the 18th century spice trade. The dominant flavors, American Spicebush and Kinnikinnick Leaf, were used by Native Americans and introduced to the early settlers for their fragrant properties. Other botanicals in the bitters include Hungarian angelica seed, Turkish bitter orange peel, Indian red rose petals and French lavender. Forester says he plans to release other flavors of bitters that represent early American history.
More Bitters Shopping
Bar supply website Cocktail Kingdom has one of the most extensive selection of bitters available to order online, while shops such as The Meadow in the West Village also feature a wide selection.
The Meadow
523 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 645-4633
atthemeadow.com
