We’ve mentioned beer in cocktails before in foodwatching, now an American company operating out of Brooklyn have developed a brand of bitters focused on creating fine, hand-crafted cocktail accompaniments. Hella Bitter is part of a growing community of enthusiasts looking to take craft cocktails to boozy new heights.
Fine ingredients and small-batch production help to distinguish Hella. Departing slightly from the norm, their aromatic bitters use a wormwood rather than an angostura base (a detail based more on preference than quality), and caramelized sugar gives a rich colour and viscosity. Hella's citrus bitters can substitute garden variety orange bitters, and the company occasionally releases off-the-wall seasonal varieties, such as a vanilla kumquat creation. While made to compliment cocktails, Hella Bitter encourages people to dilute their bitters in a glass of seltzer for a refreshing dram.