Hundreds of cocktail bitters are on the market, and millions are turning to them to add punch, pizzazz, and complexity to their cocktails and even their cooking. But the storm of exciting brands and flavours has even the savviest bartenders puzzled over their flavours, personalities, and best uses. Bitterman's Guide is the handbook that decodes today's burgeoning selection of bitters, along with their kindred spirits amari and shrubs. A lively though brief introduction to bitters includes formulas for making essential and inventive bitters at home. The heart of the book follows, with a comprehensive field guide to the wide world of the more than 400 great bitters available today.

Complete with tasting notes and profiles of important makers, the guide gives everyone from pro bartenders to home cooks a solid foundation for buying bitters. The final section offers more than 125 recipes for making, mixing, and cooking bitters, from a Gunpowder Martini to a Burnt Butter Eggnog, from Feta-Stuffed Grilled Figs Glazed with Orange and Anise Bitters to BBQ Pork Ribs with Bittersweet BBQ Sauce. Bitterman cracks open the full potential of bitters, inspiring and empowering people to try them.