The Bitter Fact 10 Bottle Give-Away Entry Deadline: Friday fifteenth December, 2023
There are a number of totally different dates kicking round for Bartender Appreciation Day, however as a result of it falls proper at the beginning of the month and is formally ‘practically Christmas’, right here at BarLifeUK we favour December 2nd.
The subsequent three weeks will see bars crammed with workplace occasion warriors, a lot of whom might be ingesting at an unfamiliar velocity and depth, leading to vomit, drama, and new 12 months visits to the HR workplace. It’s a interval through which bartenders get up within the afternoon needing to assemble all of their interior power for the battles forward, and remind themselves why they love hospitality. In different phrases, it’s a time of 12 months when bartenders deserve an additional dollop of appreciation for the work they do and the enjoyment they dispense.
The Bitter Fact co-founder Stephan Berg is a former bartender and is aware of this all to properly, which is why the corporate has celebrated Bartender Appreciation Day with massive product give-away prizes for the previous few years, and 2023 is not any exception. The Bitter Fact have offered 10 bottles of their bitters, liqueurs, and rums for a fortunate BarLifeUK reader, and all it is advisable do to enter the comp is fill out the shape on the backside of the web page, and click on ‘submit’.
The prize:
The Bitter Fact Bitters: Fragrant, Chocolate, Orange and Black Cherry
The Bitter Fact Liqueurs: Pimento, Falernum, Violet
Tiki Lovers Rum: White, Darkish and Pineapple.
Eager-eyed readers will discover ‘Black Cherry’ among the many bitters included within the prize, which isn’t presently accessible within the UK. It’s because Black Cherry is a brand new liquid which The Bitter Fact unveiled at Bar Convent Berlin earlier this 12 months, that means the winner of this comp might be among the many first Brits to attempt it. We had a fast chat with Stephan Berg in regards to the new liquid, Bartender Appreciation Day, and among the world’s greatest bars:
BLUK: Good day Stephan, thanks on your time at the moment. I perceive The Bitter Fact launched a brand new liquid at BCB. What are you able to inform us about it?
SB: It’s certainly true. We simply launched our new Black Cherry Bitters on the Bar Convent Berlin with unimaginable reception. We had plans for a correct cherry bitters for a while as cherries have their place within the cocktail world and who doesn’t like cherries? It has been some time since launching a brand new taste, however we wished to come back again with one thing particular once more. So, we went by way of our archives with outdated cocktail books and located one thing actually attention-grabbing. After that, in true The Bitter Fact trend, we began recreating, what as soon as was and made it up to date. The Bitter Fact Black Cherry Bitters are a tribute to a well-known Nineteenth-century fragrant bitters. Similar to with different Bitters from our vary, we pay homage to “Bitters from instances passed by”. It clearly additionally follows our identified agenda for pure and complicated flavors and we couldn’t be extra glad with the outcome. It’s tremendous intense, filled with bitter cherry flavors with a balanced spine of bitter herb flavors and medicinal notes which will remind some of us of Tonka Beans, whereas we don’t use any of those.
BLUK: I consider there are actually 13 totally different bitters within the Bitter Fact Vary (right me if I’m mistaken!), how do you go about selecting a brand new selection, and what does the flavour improvement and ingredient sourcing course of seem like?
SB: Sure, 13 totally different bitters now, however our vary has naturally grown over a a time span of 17 years. Once we launched our first bitters we clung to the standard kinds of fragrant and orange as these had been essentially the most used bitters prior to now. However we quickly branched out into widening the portfolio with flavors like Creole, Chocolate, Lemon and Grapefruit Bitters. We had been all the time asking ourselves: What’s lacking out there and what would carry the cocktail ahead. Normally it begins with an thought in our heads and we go from there. Once we created our Celery Bitters, there was nothing prefer it round for a couple of century and look the place the cocktail world is heading now with savoury flavors. Cucumber and Olive Bitters had been the pure extension of our savoury bitters and the latter is now among the many greatest promoting merchandise. We all the time attempt to establish the absolute best substances and take a look at the method most of it in-house, however we rely additionally on our suppliers and companions for his or her experience in prime quality substances.
BLUK: Are there any extra new Bitter Fact flavours or merchandise within the pipeline?
Sure there may be extra to come back, however that’s one thing for the long run.
BLUK: The Bitter Fact has supported Bartender Appreciation Day for quite a few years – why do you suppose this is a vital date to mark?
SB: Having labored behind the bar for a few years, we all know what a tough occupation a bartending profession could be. Lengthy and late ours, irregular breaks, difficult work setting, and naturally you’re continually surrounded by alcohol with all the hazards that associate with it. Bartender Appreciation Day honors the work of all bartenders as it’s the bartender who performs an enormous half within the buyer expertise when individuals are going out.
BLUK: With reference to bars and bartenders, are you able to inform us your favorite place to drink cocktails, and someplace you’ve gotten heard nice issues about and wish to go to?
SB: It’s a tough query as there are such a lot of nice bars in all components of the world. There are these bars who make the „Better of Record“ and it’s normally thrilling to see how new ideas and technics are put into actuality. We’re blessed to have quite a few glorious and lengthy working bars in our hometown Munich reminiscent of Schumanns Bar or Tabacco Bar. Regardless of when you’re visiting these are bars the expertise is all the time very convincing and satisfying. Having visited an enormous variety of locations over time we’re nonetheless excited after we go someplace and are unexpectedly blown away by the creativity of bartenders in any nook of the world. We heard good issues about some bars in Mexico Metropolis like Licorería Limantour and Hanky Panky. Weare keen to go to, however haven’t had the possibility but.
BLUK: The Bitter Fact vary is impressed by “bitters from instances passed by”, in case you might look again at cocktail historical past and style or recreate any spirit that’s now not made, which would it not be?
SB: Through the years we tried recreating quite a few iconic bitters from the previous, reminiscent of Bogart`s Bitters (the Bitters that Jerry Thomas referred to as for, within the unique variations of his well-known guide “The Bar-Tenders Information: Methods to combine Drinks, or The Bon-Vivant’s companion”, which is a duplicate of the well-known Bokers`s Bitters and we personal an unique bottle of those), Jerry Thomas Personal Decanter Bitters & Celery Bitters to call a number of. Probably the greatest tasting bitters in historical past is undoubtedly Abbott`s Bitters which went out of enterprise within the mid 1950`s and whereas there have been a number of industrial makes an attempt to carry it again the outcomes fell brief in our opinion and all of it resulted in a pointless trademark dispute so now we have doubts there’ll ever be one other Abbott`s Bitters and perhaps that can be excellent news. It is going to guarantee its iconic standing.
