I made some bitters for the holiday drinking season – these are meant to be bitters for adding flavor and complexity to imbibement… not necessarily herbal-health-oriented.

• 6 star anise
• 5 cloves
• 4 allspice
• 1 tsp fennel seed
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (or 5 tablespoons) gentian root
• 1/4 cup black raisins
• 10 cardamom pods, dashed
• cover with Everclear by 1/2 ” in a small pint mason jar, about halfway up
• shake that sucker daily for 2-3 weeks
• Fill 1/2 vermouth rouge and vodka to fill the container, then add
• 2″ piece of ginger, pounded until juices release or chopped very fine
• peel of one lemon
• peel of 5 clementines
• 20 peppercorns
• let that macerate 2 more weeks, shaking, then strain solids with fine strainer and coffee filter (get it good and clean!) and add:
• 1/2 cup honey