Make your own bitters at home to enhance your medicine cabinet, and your bar.

Used since the Middle Ages, bitters are made by combining various plant botanicals and/or spices with 100-proof alcohol and letting them sit until the bitter and medicinal qualities have been extracted. Just a small amount of the resulting liquid can then be used to stimulate the digestive system and promote healthy digestion. This is why “apertifs” and “digestifs” are so popular—both then and now!

DIY Bitters is a how-to guide that explores the history and health benefits of bitters, and shows you how to make your own bitters at home, to be used alone or in cocktails, tonics, and even main meals.

Herbalists Jovial King and Guido Mase, owners of the bitters company Urban Moonshine, teach you how to make recipes that range from Classic Digestive Bitters and “Angostura” Bitters to more innovative bitters like Cacao After-Dinner Mints and Kava-Ginger Pastilles.You can even find a guide for creating your own unique flavors from the plants and ingredients you have on hand. Some of the other recipes include:
 

• Angelica Elixir
• Bitter Ginger Syrup
• Hazelnut Hearth Bitters
• Rose Bitter Pastilles
• Chamomile Bitters
• Allergy Bitters
• Immune Bitters
• Nerve Bitters
• Sleep Bitters

You’ll also find profiles for an array of plant ingredients, from Agrimony to Yellow Dock, with all the details necessary to craft a formula that is truly a work of art. Listed alphabetically by common name, each species description covers history and lore, flavor profile, chemistry and extraction, and medicinal activity.

Whether enjoyed as an apertif, digestif, or as a remedy to settle an upset stomach, bitters are back!

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"A book about bitters is so sweet! Whether you are new to the idea of imbibing bitters daily for its many benefits, or a longtime fan, DIY Bitters will take you to a new level of appreciation. Jovial and Guido's book is by far the best book on the joys of bitters for digestive and immune health and so much more. It is the most practical, beautiful, and thorough book ever written on bitters. It would take a book to tell you all about the many uses and benefits of bitters for promoting health and relieving common symptoms we all experience like digestive discomforts, and fortunately, Jovial and Guido have written that book!"

" - Christopher Hobbs, Ph.D., herbalist and author

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"Bitters anyone? This book brings bitters back home to their rightful place in the kitchen and medicine chest. A visually stunning and brilliantly written book that bridges science and folklore, DIY Bitters weaves common sense and facts into a fascinating compendium of practical, usable information. The authors, both dedicated herbalists, are exceptionally skilled in their craft. They not only introduce us to this marvelous group of plants and their numerous health benefits, but also lead us into the magic of plant chemistry, teach us how to discern and utilize the various flavors of bitters, and introduce us to the fine art of blending and formulating. The recipe section is the best! Imagine making your own amari, Rose Bitter Pastilles, Barolo Chinato, or Bloody Mary Bitters . This book is fun, informative, and exceptionally well written. It will go a long way in bringing bitters —and herbs — back to the American household, where they rightfully belong."

" - Rosemary Gladstar, herbalist and author