Spiced Vanilla Bitters

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Vanilla is one of my favorite flavors. I could eat vanilla on mostly anything. These bitters have a good spice component to them, so they have added depth. Use them in your favorite rum, brandy or whiskey drink.

Recipe adapted from Jesse Smith's homemade Vanilla bitters featured on Imbibe.View here.

Spiced Vanilla Bitters recipe:

Makes roughly 16 oz.

You will need 1 glass mason jar (sterilized).

  • 2 cups of 100 proof/50% ABV vodka or white rum (Rittenhouse Rye can be used instead)

  • 8 vanilla beans, split lengthwise (recommend Madagascar)

  • 2 tsp gentian

  • 1 tsp green cardamom pods, cracked

  • 1 tbsp cocoa nibs

  • 1 tbsp roasted barley

  • 1 tsp black peppercorns, whole

  • 2 small cinnamon sticks, whole or cracked

  • 1 tsp clove, whole

  • 1 tsp allspice, whole

  • 1 star anise

You will also need:

  1. Place all solid ingredients into the mason jar. 

  2. Pour your vodka or rum over the solids and seal the jar tightly.

  3. Place jar in cool, shaded location and agitate daily. 

  4. After 2 weeks taste the bitters and check flavor level. If good enough, strain out the solids using cheesecloth. 

  5. If need more time or more vanilla flavor, you can add a tsp of good vanilla extract or let the mixture sit for another week or two. 

  6. Once the flavor is to your liking, strain out and discard the solids and add 1 to 2 ounces of blackstrap molasses to the mixture. Let sit for another 3 days.

  7. When the flavors have married, bottle your bitters or store them in the original mason jar. 

  8. If more flavor is wanted, you can add an Oak Spiral Aging stick (x2) for 1 month. They can be bought online at Amazon.