Bitter, Party of One

Emphasis on the party. Just a dash of bitters makes a Manhattan happy and a Manhattan, in turn, makes a certain bourbon-swilling girl we know happy. The blend of good bourbon, sweet vermouth and a touch of bitters is guaranteed to take the edge off the week.

So let's talk about bitters. Before my friend Stephanie fell in love with a musician and ran away with him to Nashville she used to regale us with stories of the trips to New Orleans her cocktail-loving parents and their friends used to take and how they would bring back boxes of heir beloved Peychaud's cocktail bitters.

I was intrigued. So when fate, in the shape of our favorite bartender Rob Ruter, took Wayne and me to New Orleans for Jazzfest I stocked up on a few bottles and instantly became sweet on Peychaud's. It's lighter than Angostura's and a bit sweeter, too. Like seemingly everything in New Orleans, Peychaud's has a long history. It's been around since 1793 and there are still remaining members of the Peychaud family living in The Big Easy. The Sazerac Company distributes this cocktail bitters (the Sazerac is another ultra boozy New Orleans drink tradition, but that's a story for another day).

If you want to try Peychaud's bitters, come on over for a Manhattan. Or, you can always order it online at www.sazerac.com. Once you're there, take some time to look around--it's a fun website.
 

 Check out this Tasting Table link (http://tastingtable.com/ecs/4779.htm?sid=521461). It's what got me started thinking about bitters today. Seems like more and more mixologists are turning bar kitchens into laboratories and mixing up batches of their own bitters. Being supreme entrepreneurs a few have even bottled their elixirs and are selling them. Cool. I want to turn my kitchen into a bitters making lab now, too.

Happy Friday, people! Go find a drink somewhere cozy and finish this week off right.