Homemade Grapefruit Bitters
This recipe is a nice entry point into the experimentation-friendly world of DIY cocktail bitters. Grapefruit might just be my favorite point on the citrus triangle: in this humble pink sphere, we find orange’s sweetness, lemon’s brightness, and a unique floral citrusyness all dancing in harmony. Cocktail bitters are a perfect medium to distill all this flavor into a concentrated tincture, and it gets even more fun when you start curating spices to support and accentuate the grapefruit. Effort-wise, all you have to do is throw a bunch of things in vodka for a couple weeks, and you’re set. I store my grapefruit bitters in a pint mason jar and add a barspoon to white negronis, pretty much any mezcal-based cocktails, or even just seltzer on ice. (Homemade bitters also make nice, batchable gifts, especially if you transfer them into 4oz dropper bottles.)
A few notes. First, grapefruit has a relatively thick layer of bitter pith compared to most citrus. This is annoying when you’re trying to eat pieces of grapefruit flesh, but we’re making bitters here! The pith is a feature, not a bug, so don’t bother cutting it away from your swaths of zest. Second, the spice selection is highly customizable to your tastes and what you have on hand. I would say coriander and cinnamon are key – coriander has a nice lemony earthyness, and cinnamon adds sweet-spicy complexity – but beyond that, go wild (just err on the side of using very little of each spice, as some of them dominate quickly). For example, I didn’t use cloves, but I think adding one clove could be nice. Third, I’ve listed gentian (the primary bittering agent in Campari and many other liqueurs) as optional; if you don’t have it, add some extra pith to compensate.
Recipe: Grapefruit Bitters (makes 12oz)
Ingredients:
- 8oz 40% cheap, neutral vodka
- 2oz inexpensive London dry gin (vodka is also fine)
- Zest of 2 large grapefruits
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp coriander seed
- 1/4th of a small cinnamon stick
- 1/4 tsp pink peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- Optional: 1 tsp chopped gentian root
- After steeping: 2-4oz simple syrup, to taste
Steps:
- Zest the grapefruit and lemon. If not using gentian, also cut some of the grapefruit pith to use for more bitterness.
- Add vodka, gin (if using), citrus zest, and spices to a pint mason jar. Do not add simple syrup.
- Let sit for 2 weeks. Shake every few days, and feel free to open and sniff (it should gradually smell more delicious).
- Strain the liquid through a coffee filter. Discard the citrus and reserve the remaining spices.
- Make a spiced simple syrup by simmering the reserved spices in 2oz (1/4 cup) water and 2oz sugar. Start by adding 2oz of the syrup to the bitters, and add any additional syrup to taste.
- Transfer the completed bitters to a clean mason jar or dropper bottles. Enjoy!