Scrappy's Bitters

Bold and robust. These are two words that thoroughly define Scrappy’s bitters. But it wasn’t always like that. Scappy’s was on the receiving end of something that plagues many first-timers trying to master the art of bitters: weakness. . The bitters tasted great on their own, but they just weren’t strong enough to prove the worth of a great cocktail.

When I started making bitters, this was my biggest hurdle. I believed that bitters should do their job with just a couple of drops. But as I dug deeper into herbs and methods of extraction, I learned to pair flavors in order to intensify the taste I was seeking. I learned that there were not only many ways to extract flavor from the same source, but that each yielded a different flavor. The trick is to find the sweet spot, which I eventually did. Even though it was a painstaking process, I was intrigued and dove head first into the world of bitters, learning everything I could. I spent all of my money on herbs and experiments. Everyone thought I was crazy — and I was until I started making breakthroughs. The best way I can describe how to make flavors bold without chemicals is to pair supporting flavors with your central flavor. I like to compare it to a rock band: regardless of how good the lead singer is, the band isn’t complete without the instruments.

I began creating the Scrappy’s Bitters line using only natural, mostly organic ingredients (soon to be 100% organic). We hand-make everything that goes into our bitters — from the blender to the caramel. This is how we make the best bitters in the world (it’s a bold statement – just like our bitters!).

It’s no secret. There are many new companies making bitters these days and we couldn’t be more thankful. Competition is not only good for the soul, it continually challenges us to put out the best product we can. So, what distinguishes Scrappy’s from the rest? It’s a question that occurred to me when I was out tasting bitters at a specialty shop which has an impressive collection of bitters. I am always curios to taste what the new stuff is like since there was only one other company making a variety of bitters when I launched Scrappy’s in 2008.
I had just tasted a brand of bitters when the gentleman leading the tasting mentioned that I had just sampled his favorite brand. I instantly knew he was no expert. The bitters I had tasted were pleasant on the palate, but their subtleties were almost too obvious. Bitters on their own should be, at the very least, on the cusp of being unpleasant. Bitters should be bitter or they will never round out a cocktail. A few drops of bitters should add boldness and intensity to a cocktail, not to mention aromatics. A good test would be to make an Old Fashioned or Martinez with bitters using inexpensive whisky or gin; the bitters should make your cocktail smother and add a bit of flavor.

Methods for tasting include, but are not limited to:

On their own – place a couple of drops on the back side of your hand and lick them off. Bitters should be bitter and very strong in flavor.

With soda – add a few drops to 5-8 ounces of soda water.(for enhanced flavor, add a few drops of simple syrup). This simulates alcohol in that the bitters should be present in flavor in the soda alone and similar to a dry soda with the addition of syrup.

For aromatics – place a couple of drops in the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together to warm the bitters and then smell. The bitters should be quite aromatic enveloping your olfactory.

Scrappy’s was founded on the simple idea that bitters could be made better. By selecting the finest ingredients possible and holding every batch to the same impeccable standards, we would deliver a bolder, truer flavor to a thirsty market.

That’s why Scrappy’s uses fresh, organic fruits and herbs – never oils, extracts, or dried produce. It’s why we process and bottle our natural ingredients in one location and why we number every batch after meticulous inspection. We believe the only way to make bitters better is to make them by hand. And that’s exactly what we do.

Megan Bailey – Branding + Identity + Design

Patrick Gadre’Kidan – Architect, Pastry Chef, Restauranteur, Guardian Angel

Camp Doug – Web Site Design / Development

Hollyanne Faber – Product Photography

Mitch Shirboun – Distiller, Wine maker

Mike Almquist – Distiller, Wine maker

Chris Bollenbacher – Master Bartender

DeLisle Merrill – Artist