How to Make Abbott's Aged Bitters - Full Recipe Included

Patreon: / artofdrink
Abbott's Bitters were popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s but they seemingly disappeared. But an odd discovery of a patent with an Abbott's name on it led to some deep-diving research that could the original recipe. Check it out, make the bitters yourself and see if you like them.
Abbott's Presentation (TotC 2016): www.artofdrink.com/pdf/Abbott...
Patent Link: patents.google.com/patent/US8...
Abbott's Recipe (for 1 litre)
12 g Anise Seed
12 g Fennel Seed
12 g Chamomile Flower
6 g Gentian Root
6 g Bitter Orange Peel
3 g Cinnamon
3 g Cardamom
3 g Ginger (powdered)
3 g Cloves
36 g Sugar
1000 ml 50% ABV Alcohol
10 ml Caramel Colouring
Grind herbs and macerate for 14 days, or use a percolator for 48 hours.
#bitters #science #cocktails

[@Artofdrink]

If you have questions, check out the links in the description first, that info will lead you to the patent, a presentation on Abbott's Bitters I did in 20216 as well as the modified recipe. But as always, ask a question and I will try to answer. Cheers

[@Usama-76]

Hello may I ask a question : is there any alternative for the alcohols for the extract and Essence i need un alcoholic way 100% i saw people use glycerin but i am not sure if i can use it is it possible ?

[@Artofdrink]

@@Usama-76 hello, unfortunately, non-alcohol based solvents like glycerin and water won't work. Glycerin is too thick, though I'm working on a video to see if there is a method to do this without alcohol.

[@Usama-76]

@@Artofdrink oooh nice i will be looking for it and hope you succeed

[@TehSpeedRunner]

@artofdrink How does the rapid infusion method compare to this? Does it have any downsides, compared to the described in this video?

[@gaguinhogameplay2531]

@Artofdrink thanks for the content, can you teach me how to filter it without ''lab stuff'', there's any other way to filter it besides the method you used or i need the ''lab stuff'' to do it? Don't wanna go on the 2 week route, thanks again love the videos

[@jamesplante2511]

Thanks so much for your research and sharing the formula with us. I just finished my first run of bitters. While sitting here typing this I’m sipping on an old fashioned made with 1oz rye 1 oz Old Forester Bourbon, a sugar cube doused with 4 Good dashes of Abbots Bitters, and a splash of selzer water. It’s wonderful, with the anise notes it reminds me of doing an absinthe wash before the drink pour.

[@DannyRonen]

Well done as always, Sir!

[@BartenderAtLarge]

Oh man! We can’t wait to put this in some drinks!!!

[@DistilCast]

Thanks for sharing!

[@lostbutchokoy9865]

thank you for sharing sir❤

[@tonyharion9816]

It is amazing to see you show and talk about this quest to Abbott's on video, Darcy. Very nostalgic in a very cheerful way. I have came to making these myself but I do remember the conversation and also remember trying what might be that very batch you show on video. Amazing work as always! Cheers!!

[@Artofdrink]

Thanks Tony, and yes fun memories doing the whole Abbotts project. It doesn't seem that long ago but it has been 10 years when I made the butters.

[@kevinverspoor4796]

Please Use My real name if you are going to call me out on anything I worked on. Kevin J. Verspoor aka PerfumeKev, Robert Hess gave the vintage Abbotts bitters . My team did quite a few GC/MS runs to get a pretty close recipe to work off of. Using GC/MS you can duplicate a flavor, or fragrance really closely. When the flavor you are working off of and old sample the harder it is to make the exact duplication.

[@mariolopes9853]

Muito bom

[@marcbernhard1964]

It appears that the early Abbott's had actual angostura bark in the recipe according to the court cases between Angostura Bitters and Abbott's. Do you think they dropped it as an ingredient in later versions after eventually losing in court?

[@Artofdrink]

The Abbott’s family/lawyers just said that in court because they were infringing on the Angostura trademark. At one point early on they had a court injunction against them for filling old Angostura bottles with whatever bitters they made and resold them as Angostura. Also, pharmacists rarely used angostura bark as it was easily confused with nux vomica, which could be deadly. The angostura bark defence was just so they could use angostura in their name and not get sued. They didn’t actually say the used it, just theorised if they used it. It worked though.

[@JamesRyhl]

Why does the 'burnt sugar' turn red as opposed to the modern caramel colouring? Was the original Abbott's Bitters red back in the day or did it turn red after many years?

[@matheusheringer]

Hi, can you send me the link to buy these percolator?

[@lucag.lisickza425]

im from italy i lovw your videos. can you make a videos for fernet branca which has too a secret recipe

[@Artofdrink]

Check out this video I made: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXOZiYapramBhLM and it uses a Fernet Branca recipe I found.

[@rufusghobbs]

Canadian whiskey is just moonshine with caramel color.

[@tkunz14]

When you say "alcohol refresh" at the certain intervals are you adding in new alcohol from the whiskey bottle, or are you taking the strained alcohol that's passed through already and putting that back into the cylinder? Thanks for your help.

[@Artofdrink]

The refresh is removing the alcohol from the percolator and adding new alcohol. So over the period of 48 hours the cylinder should have completely new alcohol three times.

[@therealpepeu]

@@Artofdrink I'm sorry, but this is still quite unclear to me. Fill it up, open the stopcock. Let this perculate through. but then you say it's best to let it sit for 4 hours. So, let it perculate through or wait 4 hours? "...And then start draining it off". Then a "alcohol refresh", adding new alcohol, let it sit for until the next day (24 hours), drain it off and refresh the alcohol again, "and then do that once more in 48 hours and then you'll have a full and complete extract". Could you please go through the steps a bit more carefully and explain what you're doing and why? Aren't you losing some flavor when you're discarding the first two/three(?) runs of alcohol? Wouldn't the alcohol run before the last have a lot of flavor too?

[@Artofdrink]

@@therealpepeu You are collecting the alcohol extract at every step, do not discard any of the liquid, simply collect it in a bottle. When I say during the first step "let the percolate through" it just means a few drops to ensure the percolator is completely full, with no air pockets at the bottom. At each step, you are collecting the extract, so at 4 hours you drain the extract into a bottle, keep it, and add fresh alcohol to the percolator. Repeat. The alcohol can become saturated with the compounds you are trying to extract, which means some is being left behind in the powder, so the fresh alcohol keeps extracting the compounds until the powder is exhausted of all its flavour.

[@therealpepeu]

@@Artofdrink Aaah, ok. That makes sense. Thank you for your quick reply! Cheers!

[@Dr_Bombay]

this is perhaps too obsessively detail--obsessed, but could you provide a link to the extension clamp on your stand, too? just want to be sure i get the right one for the dropping funnel. Thank you!

[@Artofdrink]

Good question, this link to a clamp works for both a 250 ml and 500 ml percolator/dropping funnel: www.hbarsci.com/products/prcmp07bh And for the lab stand, any will generally do as long as the rod is 20" in height. A wide base gives more stability if you are doing other things with it. This one is good: www.hbarsci.com/collections/metal-bases-rods/products/ch0653d1rd3

[@Dr_Bombay]

@@Artofdrink fantastic. thank you again. it's in my shopping cart now. : )

[@josefmicallef9079]

Can you try making chinotto please?

[@cardawg7164]

I am intrigued with your knowledge and information... my question is I make tinctures / extracts with a 190 proof Sugarcane ethanol. I usually do not Dilute with water... I use the maseration method of letting it set for 3 months or longer... With your method I would still like to use my 190 sugarcane ethanol.. Would i need to reduce with water or can i use it as full strength as I usually do?? I am going to invest in the percolater system you have... thank you .. I appreciate your expertise... I look forward to your reply.. Have a great evening.. Debora

[@Artofdrink]

Reducing with water helps to extract some of the water soluble compounds, as well as dissolve the sugar. You can make it with 190 proof spirit but when you add it to a drink it will go cloudy, if that doesn't bother you then it will be fine.

[@Artofdrink]

And the compound in tarragon (estragon) is partially soluble in water, so that is why I didn't need to separate the terpenes.

[@cardawg7164]

@@Artofdrink thank you again I appreciate it. I did invest in the 500ml Percolater the same one you have with the wide mouth. I am not doing alcohol drinks per say but more on the notes of a sparkling water and hops water. so i would imagine a reduction of a 10% water will keep it clear? or do i need to reduce more? thank you Debora

[@Artofdrink]

@@cardawg7164 typically 60% ABV is a good level

[@bikerbabe4442]

Instead of Carmel coloring why not use some molasses?

[@Stewbphoto]

10:35 recipe

[@shpetimtarvokopola8461]

instead of ading caramel and caster sugar i ad a turbinado or a muscuvado sugar ,it could work ?

[@shpetimtarvokopola8461]

thank you

[@Artofdrink]

It could, though it won’t make your bitters dark since there is only small amount of sugar.

[@dennisbarrow6698]

What is the white powder you are adding in the percolator?

[@Artofdrink]

That is just clean sand as it helps filter the bitters, if you watch this video it explains the how/why: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6fOk3ahnJ6VhtU

[@laurentweisgerber3846]

Time stamps in your Videos would be great :) otherwise great content

[@Artofdrink]

Thanks, I'll try to get them added in future videos, but for some of the videos just skipping to the "making" part misses important parts and then people send me questions, which are usually answered in the video. Though, yes, time stamps are convenient for quick info.

[@Tmanaz480]

Inventors always have a choice, with tradeoffs involved. Patent: Reveal your secret to the world, but gain government protection and exclusive rights (for a limited time period). Trade Secret: keep your recipe secret and give up the right to sue copycats.

[@ChrisZahller]

I've been trying to track down a laboratory percolator, but my google-fu has failed me. Is there some other name for it?

[@Artofdrink]

Look for an open mouth dropping funnel from Eisco Labs.

[@ChrisZahller]

@@Artofdrink Thanks; I found it but it's out of stock everywhere. I'll keep checking back & eventually get one!

[@ChrisZahller]

When you say cinnamon, do you mean Mexican or Vietnamese?

[@Artofdrink]

I used Ceylon cinnamon

[@ChrisZahller]

@@Artofdrink Thanks! So, Mexican (= C. verum = Ceylon = canela) it is!

[@crazydubwise]

Your videos are awesome, but I'd like a resume , shorter video to summarize the most important info. Thanks, amazing work!

[@Artofdrink]

The problem with short videos is that I get too many questions about the details that are missed and answering the same questions over and over again gets really annoying, enough so I'd probably quit making videos. And did you ask me to provide my resume or is that a spelling mistake?

[@crazydubwise]

@@Artofdrink makes sense. Perhaps we are getting used to (badly) short videos. Keep it up.

[@MrJhchrist]

​@@crazydubwise You know you can adjust speed? I have no trouble following him at 1.5x to 1.75x. Et voila, the video is however short you can stand it.

[@crazydubwise]

@@MrJhchristhahahah good one!