Brilliant Mixology from a Bottle? YES!
By: Warren Bobrow
Published: April 29, 2014

I've gotten accustomed to lousy drinks.  It's a harsh reality out here in Morristown, NJ with only perhaps two cocktail lounges nearby that even come close to getting it.  Most of the time when you go out for a mixed drink in this area, it just sucks. 
It's a fact of life in a place that's only an hour west of New York City.
Perhaps it's the fact that most people are complacent about their drinks.  They only know what is poured into their glass.  If their experience is only bottled juices and 1/4 cube ice, then the term Craft Cocktails may be completely lost on them. 
And this leads to the detriment of all others who love a well crafted cocktail, close to home.
You see, I love going out as much as the next person.  But I will say with all the attention that drinking and driving receives here in New Jersey, you don't even want to drive if you're drinking.  That's something we brought upon ourselves. 
But have no fear, I've found the solution to your dilemma.
Bittermilk is a craft cocktail company that makes what I consider to be World-Class.  They have bottled the "CRAFT COCKTAIL" without the intoxicating elements. 
This means that you can find a bottle of Bittermilk in any of three varieties. 
Number One: Tom Collins with Elderflowers and Hops - Stunning in a rocks glass with a couple ounces of Barr Hill gin from Caledonia Spirits in Vermont, a good hit of Saratoga Sparkling water and Bittered Sling Kensington Dry Aromatic Bitters
Number Two: Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Fashioned- I enjoyed this last night with a cube of Gläce Luxury Ice.  If I closed my eyes I would be in a Craft Cocktail lounge.. Open them, and I'm safely at home.  Gorgeous... Just gorgeous with the Four Roses Yellow Label Bourbon Whiskey and a twist of flamed orange zest and Bittercube Jamaican Bitters for a sultry finish. 
Number Three: Smoked Honey Whiskey Sour- Brimming with tangy opulence and mesmerizing mystique, the Smoked Honey Whiskey Sour just oozes sensuality.  If this drink syrup was a country, I'd say it was the birthplace of Tequila, in Mexico. Number Three is so pure- it is dreamy in a cocktail.
I love the way this mixture works with Casa Noble Joven Tequila.  And really great ice from Gläce Luxury Ice.
There is something beguiling about mixing the elegantly powerful Casa Noble Joven (or young) Tequila (think right off the still) with the smoked honey and citrus flavors.  I'd think that with a whiff of smoked sage, twirled around the inside of my glass, well- I'd be on to something here!  And that ice?  World's BEST!
Bittermilk gets it!  They have figured out a way to bottle the craft cocktails of your dreams inside their little bottles.  You are suddenly a craft cocktail master!  Without any effort, other than opening the bottle and measuring out the pour, you can enjoy at home the same quality cocktails as out at your favorite lounge.
Maybe even better.  Why?  You control the ice, the pour, the quality of the ingredients and most importantly, you don't have to drive!  That's worth it to me, where I might be day drinking for pieces just like this, and I don't want to drive.  Day drinking?  That reminds me, I have three suggested ways to enjoy the three pleasure driven expressions of Bittermilk.    And yes you can use Bittermilk as a Mock-Tail... Just add soda water, without the intoxicant!
I should tell you that the samples were sent to me for review. 
 
Number One
Ingredients:
2 oz. Barr Hill Gin from Vermont
1.5 oz. Number One Syrup from Bittermilk
1 oz. Seltzer Water (I used Saratoga for its fine bubble)
Large cubes of ice
2-3 drops Aromatic Bitters
Preparation:
Open bottle of #1 from Bittermilk
Fill a Boston Shaker 3/4 with ice
Cover and shake hard
Pour into a rocks glass with one cube of large ice (a large ice cube!)
drip 2-3 drops of aromatic bitters (of your choice) over the top
Add a further splash of seltzer if desired.
Garnish with an orange zest cut with a knife. NO PEELERS ALLOWED, EVER!
 
Number Two
Ingredients:
2 oz. Four Roses Yellow Label Bourbon Whiskey
1.5 oz. Bittermilk Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Fashioned- the stuff of your dreams!
.25 lemon juice (I thought it needed a bit)
3-4 drops Bittercube Jamaican #2 Bitters 
ONE large cube of hand cut ice
Preparation:
To a Boston Shaker- fill 3/4 with ice
Add the Four Roses and the Bittermilk Syrup with the lemon juice
Cap and Shake hard for 20 - 30 seconds
Pour into an Old Fashioned glass with one large cube of hand-cut ice and a zest of orange
Dot with the bitters
 
Number Three
Ingredients:
2 oz. Casa Noble Joven Tequila
1.5 ounces Smoked Honey Whiskey Sour
Hand cut ice squares
Fresh Sage
Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters
Preparation:
Hold your Boston Shaker upsides down and in a fireproof bowl, light the Sage on fire, capture the smoke inside the shaker
Add ice to the smoke filled shaker
Add the Casa Noble Tequila and the Bittermilk Smoked Honey Whiskey Sour syrup
Cap and shake hard for 20 seconds
Pour into an Old Fashioned glass with one cube of hand cut or Glace ice. 
Dot with the Fee Brothers Bitters
 
NUMBER FOUR
Any of the syrups with seltzer water and a twist of orange or lemon
Any bitters you like can go on top...
 
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