Corner-booth Blog #11 - Bitters!

Posted by Jonathan Chaffin on Jun 20, 2014

What do we do in-between releases of our amazing Horror In Clay mugs? Well, this time, we developed our own bitters to bring your tropical drink ALIVE! Horror Infused: Fiendishly Tropical Bitters!

Back in the pre-prohibition days, a bar was known for its bitters as well as its signature drinks (indeed, the bitters were a crucial component). We thought it only fitting that our signature drinking vessels from Pickman's Cove and the Gilman House lounge had complimentary bitters of their own. It's the whole deal. Killer label, shelf appeal, great taste, awesome back story...the perfect compliment to your home or professional bar.

They work really well in most drinks you can put them in from a Hemingway Daiquiri to a Rhum Old-Fashioned (an Eldritch Fashioned, if you will)[1]..

Kick up your Mai Tai a notch or two. Make that Zombie extra sinister. TRANSFORM YOUR COCKTAIL!

A unique blend of spices makes a gloriously non-euclidean bitters; the perfect compliment to your Horror In Clay Tiki mugs! Our first flavour, Fiendishly Tropical Bitters, has a spicy flavour profile redolent of molasses, grapefruit, allspice, cinnamon, and vanilla.

If you are newer to this whole “bitters thing,” you can substitute Fiendishly Tropical Bitters in almost any recipes that call for aromatic bitters. You can also use them:

A) In any Booze& drink: Captain & Coke, Dark & Stormy, etc.(to taste, maybe 4-7 drops)

B) In something like a highball that is mostly booze and bitters.(several drops to taste)

C) Add a few drops on top of vanilla ice crème and fruit (try peaches), (About 4 drops)

D) Add a few drops to a flute of Champaign for added zest.

You’ll mostly notice the bitters on the “nose” (smell/taste) and “finish” (aftertaste) of a cocktail Enjoy!

If you are an old hand at using bitters in your drink, you’ll appreciate that our bitters utilize spirits from Yahara Bay Distillers. Our bitters are created by hand, and do not use any extracts or oils; only “raw” ingredients.

Good in any recipe that calls for aromatic bitters, but we specifically fine tuned it to compliment a Dark and Stormy (especially with some of the spicier Ginger beers), a fine Demerera highball, or a double scoop'a vanilla ice creme and peaches.

Initially available in 1oz bottles, 39% Alcohol by Volume, Handcrafted, Small-Batch production. We hope to expand to 5oz bottles in the coming months.

We're all about cocktails[2], and about helping you host a perfectly unique night for yourself or whoever you happen to dig up.

We partnered with Bittercube (who make my other favourite small-batch bitters[3]) to come up with a unique flavour profile for our first entry into the cocktail additives market.

These bitters bring a balance of allspice with muted cinnamon along with a coordinated molasses and tart grapefruit balance.

Pairs up well against drinks with a sweeter pineapple flavour, and can intensify the dark oak and cherries of an aged / dark rum.

With the grapefruit notes you'll probably find they work well against a gin recipe like a Tom Collinsport (a Fiendish Tom Collins).

Fiendish Tom Collins/Tom Collinsport:

¾ oz. Lemon Juice

1 oz. Rock Candy Syrup

2 oz. Plymouth Gin

1 dropper Horror Infused Fiendishly Tropical Bitters

Shake, add 1oz seltzer, strain into Collins glass with fresh ice. Garnish with large lemon peel

An Anachronistic Bijou
* 1 1/2 ounces dry gin
* 1/2 ounce vermouth
* 1/2 ounce Chartreuse [4]
* half-dropper of Horror Infused Fiendishly Tropical Bitters
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and fill with cracked ice. Stir well for 20 seconds and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Twist a piece of lemon peel over the drink and use as garnish.

We always love to see where our products end up; you can check out our customer-submitted pictures (or submit your own) at www.facebook.com/horrorinclay or search for the tags “horror in clay” or “cthulhu tiki mug” on Flickr. New products, convention appearances, and news will show up on the facebook page and at our website; www.horrorinclay.com. We have the Corner-Booth Blog dedicated to horror, tiki, cocktails, pop culture, and conventions on the site and are also active on twitter (@CthulhuMug) and on Google Plus+ as HorrorInClay.

Whether you are mostly interested in horror literature, tiki culture, or just plain old awesome Things, we really hope you enjoy your purchase! Remember, if it ain’t got bitters, it ain’t a cocktail. All the best!

Jonathan Chaffin

Horror In Clay LLC

[1] We like our Rhum Old-Fashions the old fashioned way...with BOOZE in 'em.
[2] From Wikipedia - By 1806, American publications referenced the popularity of a new preparation termed cocktail, which was described as a combination of “a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters." - That's right kiddies....if it don't got bitters in it, it ain't a cocktail. ^/|\^
[3] From Bittercube.com - Bittercube Bitters utilize spirits from Yahara Bay Distillers. The bitters are created by hand, peeling hundreds of pounds of citrus, weighing dozens of spices, and decorticating vanilla beans, among other time consuming tasks! Bittercube Bitters do not use any extracts or oils, but only “raw” ingredients.
[4] I'm told this is another way to use up those dregs of vermouth and Chartreues you may have laying around.

Horror In Clay, like any small business, benefits greatly from word of mouth, product reviews, and shared images etc on social media. Thank you again for all your support!

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Tags: bijou, bitters, cocktails, cornerbooth, Horror Infused, how to, Tom Collins, tropical recipies

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