Grapefruit and bay bitters
I’d never thought of making bitters before, but after a bit of research I couldn’t believe how easy they were – a few flavours left in some alcohol for a few weeks. They make a great present in a nice little bottle. You could swap in most citrus here.
- Duration
- 1hr +
- Makes
- 250ml bottle
Ingredients
- 1 grapefruit
- 1 orange
- 1⁄4 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1⁄2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- a 1cm piece of cinnamon stick
- 1 cardamom pod, just split open
- 1 vanilla pod, split open
- 250ml vodka
- 1 coffee bean
Prepare the citrus
Preheat the oven to 140oC/120oC fan/gas 2. Very finely peel the zest from both the grapefruit and the orange, using a vegetable peeler, and spread it out on a baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes, until dry but not quite brittle, then remove and allow to cool on the tray.
Bring together the rest of the ingredients
Put the zest with all the other ingredients into a large jar and pour over the vodka. Leave to steep for 2–3 weeks. How quickly it steeps will depend on the warmth of the room and the potency of all the ingredients, so once you hit 2 weeks, keep tasting it and bottle it once you are happy with the flavour.
Strain the mixture
Strain the vodka through a muslin cloth, squeezing through all the last bits of liquid. Pour into a little bottle and store in a cool place; it should keep for years, as only a dash is used at a time.
Mix with your drink of choice
To use the bitters, add half a teaspoon to a gin and tonic or to sparkling water.
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