- Vodka
- Celery
This long-forgotten co*cktail ingredient adds a nice savory boost to martinis, gin and tonics, Bloody Marys, and other co*cktails.
By
Marcia Simmons
Marcia Simmons
Contributor
Marcia Simmons is the author of DIY co*cktails: A Simple Guide to Creating Your Own Signature Drinks (2010).
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Updated October 11, 2023
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In This Recipe
What's Available to Buy?
Why DIY?
Use It!
Why It Works
- Muddling the celery, herbs, and spices and then agitating them daily aids flavor extraction.
- Simmering the strained aromatics with water and infusing them again contributes another layer of flavor.
It seems that co*cktail bitters are getting more and more specific and obscure. Sriracha bitters? Black-and-white cookie bitters? Coffee-chipotle bitters? Yep, all three of those exist. Depending on your drinking philosophy, you may find this unnecessary and pretentious or delightful and inspiring.
Celery bitters might sound like something that hipster mixologists invented while turning everything edible into a flavor of bitters, but co*cktail curmudgeons can rest easy knowing that these bitters were actually around in the 1800s. Celery bitters went out of style around Prohibition and didn't come back until just a few years ago. A few drops of this savory and unusual concoction can completely change a classic co*cktail—and inspire tons of new recipes.
What's Available to Buy?
If you want to buy celery bitters, you'll have to have a really good liquor store nearby, or order them online. I loveThe Bitter Truthcelery bitters, which have a strong celery-seed flavor layered with bold citrus and subtle spice.Fee Brothersalso makes celery bitters, but their version doesn't have the same earthy zip as The Bitter Truth's. I'm still dying to tryScrappy'sandBittermens, which are a little more rare though not impossible to find.
Why DIY?
Internet magic can make a bottle of celery bitters appear at your doorstep, but shipping costs can turn a fun little splurge into a substantial investment. And you might not even be happy with what you get. The fun of homemade celery bitters is coming up with a list of demands for what you want your bitters to be like and then making it so.
While I like what's on the market right now, I was looking for a more savory and vegetal celery bitters without lemon and orange flavors popping in. I wanted some umami with the bitterness.
After cooking the solid ingredients a bit to bring out the flavor, my house had a familiar smell even though I'd never made these bitters before. It smelled a lot like instant ramen with a hint of lemongrass. Umami achieved! (And without any MSG.) I've possibly scared as many people with that tidbit as I've convinced. But just think of how totally kick-ass a little bit of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce is in a Bloody Mary. The savory side of these bitters is a wonderful thing.
If you want to make something closer to The Bitter Truth's version, you could add some lemon and orange zest along with ginger. Or you could go more herbal with some rosemary and thyme or dandelion and burdock. You can design whatever bitters you desire.
Use It!
TheBloody Marywas my celery bitters muse, and the stuff is made to turn that tomato-y brunch co*cktail into a masterpiece. A few dashes will also make a regularmartiniinto something special, or change up your gin and tonic. For another option, celery bitters accentuate the vegetal, herby notes of gin as well as green tea in this gunpowder gin punch.
April 2012
Recipe Details
DIY Celery Bitters Recipe
Prep10 mins
Cook5 mins
Active20 mins
Infusing Time336 hrs
Total336 hrs 15 mins
Serves450 servings
Makes1 3/4 cups
Ingredients
1/4 cup lemongrass, pale green parts only, roughly chopped (about 2 stalks)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
10 mint leaves
1 allspice berry
1/2 teaspoon gentian root (cut, not powdered)
1/4 cup celery seeds
1 cup celery, chopped
2 cups 100-proof vodka
1/2 cup water
Directions
Put the lemongrass, coriander, mint, allspice, and gentian root in a sealable glass jar. Muddle briefly to bruise and break the ingredients. Add the celery seeds, celery, and vodka, then seal and shake. Let this mixture steep for 12 days, shaking daily.
Strain out solids using a fine-mesh strainer, reserving the liquid in the original jar. Place the solids in a saucepan along with the water and cook on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. It will come to a gentle boil and the liquid will reduce slightly. Let this cool, then return all the pan's contents to the original jar. Let steep for 2 more days.
Strain out the solids, then filter the liquid through a coffee filter or cheese cloth. If using cheese cloth, you may have to do this 2 or 3 times until the liquid is free from debris. Store at room temperature for up to a year.
Special Equipment
Fine-mesh strainer, saucepan, cheesecloth or coffee filter
Read More
- co*cktail 101: All About Bitters
- co*cktail 101: Savory co*cktails in Theory and Practice
- DIY Orange Bitters
- DIY Rhubarb Bitters
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 3 | Calories |
| 0g | Fat |
| 0g | Carbs |
| 0g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
×
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 450 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 3 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 0g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 0mg | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrate 0g | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 0g | |
| Protein 0g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
| Calcium 0mg | 0% |
| Iron 0mg | 0% |
| Potassium 0mg | 0% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
