Quick Answer: Do Bitters Contain Alcohol?
Yes, bitters contain alcohol but usually only a few drops are used in co*cktails and mocktails. It's considered a negligible amount of alcohol that your body breaks down quickly before entering the bloodstream. A few drops of bitters is less than 0.5% ABV, the legal definition of a non-alcoholic liquid.
There ARE non-alcoholic bitters widely available now. All The Bitters is the most popular brand and available through retailers across North America and the U.K.
What are Bitters? The History and A Brief Introduction
Bitters are an alcoholic-substance that contains very concentrated levels of herbs and spices suspended in alcohol. A lot of classic co*cktails use various forms or bitters to enhance their taste and experience. Bitters are so potent in flavor profile, only a few dashes of bitters are needed in most co*cktail recipes.
The history behind bitters is long and does not actually start with the creation of Angostura bitters - the most popular bitters brand around. The use of bitter herbs and botanicals for medicinal purposes can be traced back to ancient civilizations such as Egypt, where people used plants with bitter properties for medicinal concoctions. The Greeks and Romans further documented the use of bitter herbs in helping with healing, as did the monks in the Middle Ages.
The term bitters as we know it now came to be used in the 18th century as patent medicine sold for their health benefits, not co*cktail recipes. Part snake-oil but part realistic remedy for minor things like digestion.
Angostura, otherwise known as aromatic bitters, is one of the oldest documented brands of bitters, having originated in Venezuela in the early 1800s, and was made from roots, barks, and spices. Venezuelan doctor Johann Siegert concocted Angostura in 1824, intending it be consumed on its own. Dr. Siegert hoped Angostura would alleviate stomach ailments, and keep troops in the army safe against malaria and to stimulate them, so they’d always be alert. By the late 1800s, however, bitters became an indispensable part of the co*cktail, so much so that it’s in the first-ever definition of “co*cktail.” Their shift in purpose might have been symptomatic of Dr. Siegert’s sons’ migration to Trinidad — Don Carlos Siegert fortified the Angostura brand there, focusing on establishing the bitter as integral to foods and drink.
During the Temperance Movement, a social movement that began in the late nineteenth century and eventually led to Prohibition people continued to take bitters on their own. According to author Brad T. Parsons, author of Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with co*cktails, Recipes, and Formulas, it was also during this time that many began mixing bitters with lower-quality spirits to “to help their medicine go down.”
Bitters, or co*cktail bitters, are now standard in any bar. Even the diviest of bars will have a bottle of Angostura bitters stashed away somewhere. The best co*cktail destinations carry a wide range, such as orange bitters, peychaud's bitters or citrus bitters.
The Role of Bitters in Mixology
The Old Fashioned is a classic co*cktail that is the most infamous use of bitters, but in mixology, bitters play a crucial role in enhancing the flavour profile of all co*cktails and mocktails alike. Acting as concentrated infusions of herbs and spices, bitters bring depth and balance to drinks. Beginners to mixology can elevate their recipe for a co*cktail or non-alcoholic co*cktail by adding bitters.
Most bitters taste bitter (no surprise there) and are potent enough that you only need a few drops, but those few drops can add tons of complexity to a co*cktail without additional alcohol content and help with a more complete flavor profile.
In co*cktails, their versatility and ability to balance sweetness make them a fundamental element in mixology where juices and syrups can pack a sugary punch. Bitters act as a counterpoint to that sweetness without having to rely on a bitter liqueurs like Campari.
Bitters are a balancing agent, Ian James Blessing, founder of All The Bitter, says. “Bitters highlight certain flavours and components of drinks, and help tie ingredients together.”
For example, consider popular co*cktails like a Manhattan, Blessing says. A Manhattan contains only three ingredients: whiskey, sweet vermouth, and aromatic bitters. “If you were to make that drink on its own without the bitters, you would find it a little too sweet, make it again with the bitters and the bitters balance the sweetness,” Blessing says, thanks to the bitterness of the bitter.
That being said, bitters don’t necessarily have to be bitter — they’re merely a concentration of flavour. Something like Angostura bitters have a flavour profile that is not bitter at all; it’s heavily reliant on cinnamon, clove, all spice, nutmeg, among other ingredients, Blessing says. Something like famous Peychaud’s bitters are anise and cherry dominant. There are also bitters with earthy flavors like the new Chocolate Mole Bitters from All The Bitter.
“Bitters really tie the co*cktail together,” Blessing concludes. “They highlight components that need to be toned up a little bit. They might mute components that need to be toned down like sweetness. If there's a drink that maybe is missing something, often, what it's missing is bitter. If you’re playing around with a new recipe and you make a co*cktail and it feels like it's almost there, but it's missing something, it’s usually a few dashes of bitters.”
For a non-alcoholic drink, bitters add complexity and flavour that is often missing in mocktails. Because the flavour in spirits is held in the alcohol molecule, when those liquids are dealcoholized, it often removes a lot of the elegance and structure of the original substance. co*cktail bitters can add that back in with only a few dashes and still stay in the non-alcoholic safe-zone.
How are bitters made?
Bitters are typically made through a process of maceration, where bitter ingredients such as herbs, roots, spices, fruits, citrus peels and even tree bark are steeped in a high-proof alcohol. The alcohol breaks down the ingredients and extracts the flavors and aromas from the botanicals, creating a concentrated liquid known as a tincture.
All bitters contain two basic components: the solvent and the raw ingredients. Most bitters on the market are made with alcohol as their solvent, according to Ian Blessing.
“Alcohol is an incredibly good solvent, it does a really good job of extracting flavours and it's an incredible preservative,” Blessing says.
The raw ingredients bring the flavour then the solvent works to extract and make them potent.
Do Bitters Contain Alcohol?
Bitters have alcohol in them, but just how much and what is the impact of that amount seems to be one of the most controversial topics in the non-alcoholic drinks category. Here's a breakdown of the alcohol content in bitters, including some alternate options for you to use.
What is the Alcohol Content in Bitters?
Bitters that are not labelled as 'alcohol-free' have anywhere from 40% to 60% alcohol by volume or ABV. As a comparison, standard gin has an ABV of 35% to 50%. How much alcohol depends on the manufacturer.
When a few dashes of bitters are added to a drink, it adds approximately 0.5% ABV to that co*cktail or mocktail.
Using bitters essentially comes down to personal preference and comfort level. If you're a sober person and worried about drinking something with even a low level of alcohol, refrain from adding bitters - but keep reading below for our alternatives!
Are there Alcohol-Free Bitters?
Yes, there are non-alcoholic bitters. All The Bitters is a non-alcoholic bitters brand from California that makes the best alcohol-free bitters on the market. There are a few other small brands that offer low-alcohol bitters - meaning their solvent isn't completely alcohol-free - but All The Bitters is totally alcohol free. You can buy them online in the U.S. and in Canada, you can order them through co*cktailEmporium.com.
Types and Varieties of Bitters
Bitters come in hundreds of flavour profiles, as you can see when you visit any proper co*cktail shop. From chocolate to cranberry to ginger and beyond, any herb, fruit or spice that has flavor can be extracted and made into a bitter. However, there are a few standard 'classic' bitters that most bartenders use in their co*cktail creations.
Angostura Bitters is also known as aromatic bitters and is the widest known style of co*cktail bitters. It uses a specific blend of aromatic herbs including gentian root, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and other botanicals.
Orange bitters - citrus peel is nature's source for bitter flavors, and orange is one of the most common bittering agents. These bitters go well in many co*cktails
Peychaud's Bitters, otherwise known as New Orleans bitters is a beautiful combination of anise, hibiscus and cherry. It's most known for the Sazerac co*cktail, which is impossible to make without alcohol. But if you're a non-drinker, and don't want alcohol, you can use an alcohol-free bitters in the New Orleans style for any drink that needs some floral anise brightness.
Chocolate mole bitters are also a must have for anyone who is interested in non-alcoholic red wine. The trick to adding complexity to wines that are 'missing' something, is to add a few drops of chocolate bitters and you will be blown away!
Familiar brands you might know include: Angostura, Peychaud, Copper and Kings, Regans, Woodford Reserve, Bittermens and Fee Brothers.
Our Favourite Non-Alcoholic Mocktails with Bitters
1. Bitters & Soda
Bitters and soda is the easiest, low-sugar, no-alcohol mocktail that you can make at home. There are only two easy ingredients:
Club Soda, sparkling water or seltzer in any flavour you want
4-5 dashes of bitters
Mix together and add ice, and you have a refreshing alternative drink that is elevated and complex and feels just a little fancier than just plain old sparkling water!
It's really personal preference, but our favourite combinations include orange bitters and lemon/lime soda water or Peychauds bitters (All The Bitter New Orleans alcohol-free bitters) with strawberry or raspberry seltzer.
2. Mocktail Recipe: Sarah Kate’s Signature Earl Grey Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
4 oz of non-alcoholic bourbon whiskey
1 tbsp Earl Grey Syrup
3 oz Earl Grey tea (cooled)
4-5 dashes of All The Bitter Aromatic Bitters
Square Ice
Making Earl Grey Syrup (5-8 minutes):
Mix ½ cup of sugar, ¼ cup of water and 1 tbsp of Early Grey tea in a small saucepan. Turn to medium-low heat and stir gently until the sugar is dissolved and it’s just about to simmer. Turn off the heat and let it steep for a few minutes and then strain into a glass jar.
Preparation:
Combine Earl Grey syrup, tea and bitters in a glass, stirring until well blended. Add a big square ice cube and then pour non-alcoholic bourbon whiskey on top. Stir gently for 30 seconds to chill and enjoy!
Other alternatives to bitters that don't have alcohol content
If you need flavours that mimic orange bitters, for instance, orange oil is the best substitute. You can buy this, or you can express the orange peel over the co*cktail or mocktail which releases the oils from the skin of the orange.
Orange juice is also an option, but it doesn't have the bitter flavor profile that you need and is often too sweet. Your taste buds will tell you!
You can make your own bitters at home without the use of distilled alcohol or needing a neutral alcohol base. For aromatic flavours, you can macerate spices like ginger, cardamon and anise together with a co*cktail muddler. Place them in a jar and cover them with water or a non-alcoholic base. Seal the jar and let it sit in a cool, dark place for several weeks to allow the flavors to infuse. Strain and sweeten. You can even add vanilla extract for another layer of flavour. To serve in drinks, use a medicine dropper or 1/8 tsp. This would be considered a zero alcohol option.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bitters
Are Fee Brothers bitters alcohol-free?
While Fee uses a base of glycerin, the flavors are achieved by adding alcohol-based extracts. Some bottles list "alcohol" and some do not, because they were bottled before a labelling requirement was enforced. They're not required to list ABV % in the United States or Canada, so it won’t be clear on the label that it does contain a certain level of alcohol.
What co*cktails and mocktails use bitters?
The Old Fashioned co*cktail is so classic that you may not even see it on a co*cktail menu because every bartender knows how to make it. It's a standard recipe of whiskey, a sugar cube (or simple syrup) and some aromatic bitters. Aside from this 'template' for an old fashioned, you can have a lot of fun with this drink and switch up your Angostura bitters for orange bitters or add more or less depending on your taste buds.
Do bitters go bad?
Bitters that are made with alcohol have a very long shelf life. However, the flavours can degrade over time due to various things like light, temperature and evaporation changing the concentration of the liquid. It's best to check with the manufacturer if you need to know a specific best-before date, but a general rule of thumb is to toss it after about a year of being opened.
What's the difference between digestive bitters and co*cktail bitters
Campari is a familiar brand of digestive bitters, and as you can imagine, there is a big difference between an ounce of the infamous red liquid and an ounce of co*cktail bitters. Campari or Frenet for example are considered 'potable' bitters - bitter liqueurs that work well in co*cktails, but were originally intended to be sipped on their own. co*cktail bitters are not meant to be drunk on their own. They are herbal bitters that are extremely concentrated and meant to be an addition to a co*cktail.
Do you have to be legal drinking age to purchase bitters?
No, because it’s considered non-alcoholic, anyone can buy bitters at grocery stores or specialty retailers.
Related Articles & Further Reading
Looking to find a recipe that uses bitters? Check out our mocktails recipe page.
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