Make Your Own Moonshine Bitters

The first recorded definition of a cocktail is found in The Balance and Columbian Repository  in 1806. In response to the question, "What is a cocktail?", editor Henry Croswell responded that a cocktail "is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters." Bitters have been an essential ingredient in cocktails since the rise of cocktail culture.

Bitters is made with barks, roots, herbs, fruits, spices, seeds, and vegetables, which are preserved with high-proof alcohol. Adding just a couple of dashes of bitters can bring complexity and spice to your cocktails. One way to make your cocktails stand out is with your own bitters. Have fun experimenting with different spices, fruits, and vegetables. Some commonly used ingredients include allspice, anise, celery seed, cherry, & lemon. The possibilities are limitless. 

The following is a recipe for homemade basic aromatic bitters, using your own homemade moonshine as a base. You will want to use moonshine at 100 proof or higher for making your bitters. 

Ingredients

2 cups of Moonshine

1 cup dried bitter orange peel
Pinch of Ground Cardamom
Pinch of Ground Caraway
Pinch of  Ground Coriander  

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a Mason jar with a lid. Keep in a cool, dark place, such as a refrigerator, for 20 days. Shake vigorously every day.

Strain into another jar using a coffee filter. Then transfer your bitters into dark dropper bottles for storage.

Classic Cocktails

A great way to use your homemade bitters is in a classic cocktail, such as an Old Fashioned. To make an Old Fashioned, you just need to follow the definition of a cocktail - spirits, sugar, water, & bitters.

Your Signature Old Fashioned

2 oz Homemade Whiskey

1/2 oz Homemade Simple Syrup

2 Dashes of Moonshine Bitters

Garnish with an Orange Peel

For everything you need to make your own homemade hand crafted moonshine, visit our store front at MoonshineStillPro. Our stills are modeled after commercial stills used by craft distillers, combining the use of both copper and stainless steel to produce stills that are the best combination of functionality, durability and cost. We provide high quality grains, yeast, and other supplies, to make sure your distillation is of the highest quality.

This blog is for educational purposes only. All discussions, including recipes and “how to’s” are theoretical in nature. The blog posts are in no way an endorsement or encouragement to break the law. Products sold are intended to be used in accordance with the proper licensing or permitting procedure of the respective jurisdiction of the user.