DIY Homemade Bitters to Level Up Your Mocktail Recipes
Add depth to your favourite mocktail recipes by crafting homemade bitters for your mocktail. In the modern era, mocktails have become a popular and refreshing alternative to alcoholic drinks. Take your non-alcoholic beverages to a whole new level by adding delectable homemade bitters to your mocktails.
DIY Guide To Homemade Bitters
What Are Homemade Bitters?
It is an art to create a perfect blend of homemade bitters that are made with fresh herbs, fruits, spices, and many other botanicals. Bitters upgrade the overall taste by balancing sweetness and bitterness. Create exciting flavours and explore the hidden flavour of mocktails.
The Art of Crafting Homemade Bitters
The best advantage of homemade bitters for non-alcoholic beverages is you have control over the whole ingredients according to your preferences and customise your flavours. Here's a guide to crafting your batch of bitters from scratch:
Step 1: Selecting the Ingredients
Combine aromatic herbs, spices, fruits, and botanicals as per your preferences. Explore various flavours using famous ingredients like cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, gentian root, and citrus peels.
Step 2: Infusion and Extraction
After gathering your ingredients fuse them in liquids like high-proof alcohol or apple cider vinegar. Mix them well and enhance their overall taste. Store it for about 2 weeks and sake it at times to get the desired extraction.
Step 3: Straining and Filtering
After the infusion period, strain the mixture using a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove the solid ingredients. This will give you a clear and concentrated bitterness solution. For a smoother texture, you can repeat the straining process multiple times or use a coffee filter.
Step 4: Bottling and Ageing
Choose small bottles that are easy to dispense and transfer the strained bitters into them. Allow the flavours to develop by storing the bitters for a few weeks. Label the bitters with the date for needed references.
Elevating Mocktail Recipes With Homemade Bitters
Once you have your homemade bitters, explore the numerous possibilities of flavour combinations and improve the overall taste of your non-alcoholic beverages. Here are a few mocktail recipes that flaunt the texture of homemade bitters:
1. Citrus Spice Spritz Mocktail Recipe
This is a reviving mocktail recipe that combines the strong flavours of freshly squeezed orange and tangy grapefruit juice with a mild sweetness of honey syrup. The homemade bitters add a delectable texture and a spicy note, upgrading the flavour of this spritz.
Ingredients
- Orange juice - 30 ml
- Grapefruit juice - 30 ml
- Honey Syrup - 15 ml
- Homemade citrus bitters 3 - 4 dashes
- Sparkling water for topping
- Orange peel, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the orange juice, grapefruit juice, honey syrup, and homemade citrus bitters in a cocktail shaker.
- Fill the shaker with ice.
- Shake well.
- Fill a glass with ice cubes.
- Strain the mixture into the glass.
- Top it off with sparkling water.
- Garnish with an orange peel.
2. Berry Basil Smash Mocktail Recipe
This is a mix of luscious berries with aromatic basil leaves. Muddle this mocktail recipe well for the berries to release their flavour and let the drink infuse in the essence of bails leaves. Lemon extracts and simple syrup balance the sweetness and the tanginess.
Ingredients
- Mixed berries - 1/2 cup
- Basil leaves - 4 or 5
- Lemon juice - 30 ml
- Simple syrup - 15 ml
- Homemade berry bitters - 3 - 4 dashes
- Soda water for topping
- Basil sprig, for garnish
Instructions
- Muddle the fresh mixed berries and basil leaves in a cocktail muddler.
- Add lemon juice, simple syrup, and homemade berry bitters to the muddler.
- Mix them well until the flavours are well mixed.
- Fill a glass with crushed ice.
- Pour the mixture into the glass.
- Top it off with soda water.
- Garnish with a fresh basil sprig.
Create a range of flavourful homemade bitters with simple steps like selection, infusion, straining, and ageing. Elevate your mocktail recipes and wow your guests at your upcoming parties. Cheers!
