The Pollinator Recipe

We're mostly wine drinking gals, but when we drink the hard stuff — vodka, bourbon, scotch — we usually prefer it straight up. These are adult drinks and each maker works hard to give their spirit a distinct taste. We don't want the flavor adulterated. If we want lemonade or a milkshake, that's what we drink — not some gussied up beverage that obscures the flavor of the alcohol. We like to taste what we're drinking — you could call us purist bitches.So we were all set to hate on bitters. Instead, we love them. Peychaud and Angostura are the two most easily found, but there is an entire cotage industry devoted to crafting cool new ones. Like Coca-Cola and Thomas' English Muffins, bitters recipes are cloaked in secrecy, but typically include herbs, barks, and the roots of gentian flowers all steeped in alcohol. More savory, to our buds, than sweet, a dash or two in a drink converts an ordinary cocktail into something most interesting. Guess you could say, true love is bitter(s).