Bitters & bitters bottles

First consider how often you use a bitter. If you make a lot of old fashioneds, a larger bottle such as the 23 cl retro model is worthwhile, since you won't have to refill it as often. For bitters you rarely use, a 5 or 6 cl bottle is enough and takes up less space on your countertop. Also pay attention to the cap. A dasher dispenses a measured drop with each movement and is intended for bitters. A screw cap seals tightly and is better for syrups or infusions you want to store closed. The 6 cl skull model and the 10 cl square bottle stand securely on a narrow shelf, while the 15 cl vintage model belongs mainly on a visible back bar. The 10 cl spray bottle is a separate category, intended for misting the inside of a glass.

A dash is not a fixed measure, but in practice it amounts to about a milliliter, so use a short, firm movement of the wrist. Two to three dashes are enough for a stirred cocktail. In a Manhattan you add the bitters first to the mixing glass and only then the spirits, so everything is evenly distributed while stirring. In a Negroni the bitterness is already in the Campari, so you usually don't need any extra dashes. Use the spray bottle the other way around: mist a thin layer of absinthe or smoke into an empty glass, swirl it around, and pour the cocktail over it.

Bitters are strong enough to keep themselves, but the cap is not. Rinse the dasher out under warm water every few weeks, because sugar and essential oils settle in the little channel and then the dose starts to wander. Keep bottles out of direct sunlight, since colour and flavour fade faster there. Write the contents and the filling date on the label, because you cannot tell a six-month-old bitter by its colour. Glass can go in the dishwasher, the caps had better not.

Bitters are one component of a stirred cocktail. For the rest of the tools, see the bar spoons, which are long enough to reach the bottom of a mixing glass, and the jiggers for measuring spirits. Those who prefer shaking to stirring will find the corresponding sizes among the cocktail shakers . The glass in which it all ends up can be found among the cocktail glasses, where coupes and tumblers are sorted by shape.