Glossary

A quick reference for the terms that come up around the site. Nothing here is complicated once it’s spelled out, which is sort of the point.

ABV (alcohol by volume)

The share of a liquid that’s pure alcohol, written as a percentage. A spirit at 40% ABV is 80 proof. Higher ABV pulls more flavor out of herbs, which is why bitters are made with a high-proof spirit.

Aromatics

The flavor ingredients in a blend that aren’t there for bitterness: citrus peel, warm spices, herbs. They sit on top of the bittering backbone and give a blend its character.

Aromatic bitters

The all-purpose style of bitters, warm and spice-forward. Angostura is the best-known example. The default bottle for an Old Fashioned.

Bittering agent

The ingredient that makes bitters bitter, the backbone of any blend. Gentian root is the classic choice.

Bitters

A concentrated flavoring for drinks, made by steeping herbs, roots, and peel in high-proof alcohol. You use them a dash at a time to season a cocktail. More on what bitters are.

Dash

A small pour from a bitters bottle, a quick shake that gives a few drops. The usual unit for adding bitters to a drink.

Maceration

Steeping something in liquid to draw out its flavor. Making bitters is maceration: herbs soaking in alcohol until it takes on their taste.

Menstruum

The liquid you steep in. For bitters that’s a high-proof alcohol, which does the work of pulling flavor out of the herbs.

Orange bitters

A brighter, citrus-forward style of bitters. Common in gin drinks and martinis.

Proof

An older way of stating alcohol strength, equal to twice the ABV. So 100 proof is 50% ABV.

Simple syrup

Equal parts sugar and water, stirred until the sugar dissolves. A standard cocktail sweetener, and easy to swap for a sugar-free version.

Steep (steeping)

Soaking herbs in liquid so it takes on their flavor. It’s the everyday word for maceration, and the first half of the site’s name. Steeping herbs in alcohol is how you make bitters.

Straining

Separating the finished liquid from the spent herbs at the end of a steep, usually through a muslin bag or cheesecloth. Squeeze it well, since a soaked bag holds onto a fair bit.

Tincture

Any herb steeped in alcohol to pull out its properties. Bitters are a tincture made for flavor rather than medicine.