Bitters at the Grocery Store (Quick Guide)

Bitters are little bottles of concentrated taste that are used in cocktails and other beverages. Many bitters include orange peel, cascarilla, cassia bark, and gentian root infusions.

Bitters are often made from botanicals, roots, herbs, and spices. Bitters have been utilized since the 18th century. Although they began as a medical mixture, they are now often used in cocktails.

Where To Find Bitters In The Grocery Store

Bitters may be found in the liquor department of most supermarkets. However, not all supermarkets have bitters. If your local shop does not have them, try a liquor store or an ethnic market.

Angostura, Peychauds, Orange, and Fee Brothers are some prominent bitters brands. There are also artisanal bitters manufacturers, such as The Bitter Truth, whose products may be purchased via internet merchants or specialized shops.

If you want to purchase bitters from a local producer, specialty shops might be a goldmine of information. Even if the bitter is not created in your area, personnel at these specialist businesses are well-versed in cocktails and bitters in general. They can tell you more about the bitters-making process and how to get the most out of your components to prepare the ideal cocktail.

Where To Buy Bitters Near Me

Here are the supermarket shops with the finest bitters selection:

  • Kroger
  • Whole Foods
  • Central Market
  • Wegmans
  • Publix

Bitters should be available in the liquor area of the majority of these retailers. There’s a risk that the brand and flavor you’re searching for aren’t available. Don’t be concerned. You may also go to your local liquor store, ethnic market, or even shop online.

How To Buy Bitters Online

Purchasing bitters online is a great alternative since you have access to a wider range of brands, sizes, and tastes. Here are the top five internet shops for bitters.

Amazon

Amazon is the most popular online retailer for bitters. Amazon has a large selection of brands and tastes. Other bar items, such as cocktail shakers and glasses, may also be purchased.

Simply putting bitters into the Amazon search area returns over 500 items. Because this might be overwhelming, we suggest refining your search by choosing a certain brand or taste.

Aside from comparing pricing, Amazon also sells bitter trial packages, which let you to taste several flavors before investing in a full bottle.

WebstaurantStore

Another online merchant that offers bitters is WebstaurantStore. Customers may choose from a variety of brands, including Fee Brothers, Angostura, and The Bitter Truth. WebstaurantStore is great since they provide one-day delivery, so you’ll get your bitters in no time.

If you own or manage a restaurant or bar, you may want to buy bitters in quantity. WebstaurantStore provides discounts on purchases of $500 or more. They make it simple to get all of the things you want in quantity.

KegWorks

KegWorks is another excellent online source for bitters. They also sell a variety of brands such as Fee Brothers, Regans, Angostura, The Bitter Truth, and others. KegWorks also carries a wide range of bar items, such as shakers and glasses.

KegWorks has almost 150 distinct cocktail bitters alternatives. So you may be certain that they will have the brand and/or taste you want.

Drizly

Drizly is similar to Instacart, but for booze. They offer around 200 bitters alternatives from different brands. Drizly is fantastic since you can purchase your bitters and have them delivered to your house in under an hour.

They also offer an excellent loyalty program that pays you for every purchase. So, if you want to experiment with various bitters brands, Drizly is an ideal choice.

The Local Marketplace Palate

The Local Marketplace Palate is an online market for artisanal, small-batch items. They don’t offer a huge assortment of bitters, but if you like the Woodster brand, this is your best bet.

They do, however, offer a large selection of other fantastic items from diverse craftspeople. Palate is an excellent alternative if you want to purchase unusual and hard-to-find items.

Can’t Find Bitters? See Top Alternatives

Don’t be concerned if you can’t locate bitters. Some alternatives are still viable options.

Amaro

Amaro is an excellent substitute for bitters. Amaro is a digestif prepared in Italy using herbs, spices, and flowers.

Amaros come in a variety of flavors, including Averna, Campari, and Fernet Branca.

Because amaro has a taste profile that is quite similar to many bitters, you may replace amaro for bitters by adding a teaspoon or two to your cocktail.

Vinegar

Vinegar is another option for bitters. Apple cider vinegar, in instance, has a delicious taste and may be used in drinks.

Vinegar is only a suitable alternative if you have the time to make the fruit or herb combination, blend it with vinegar, and let it rest for up to three weeks. Using the combination too soon can result in a drink that lacks flavor or, worse, tastes entirely of vinegar.

After it has sat, use it in lieu of bitters in your cocktails.

Vinegar is an excellent choice for adding a touch of sourness to your drink. If you want to use vinegar, be sure to provide enough time for it to ferment.

Sriracha

Yes, Sriracha can be used in drinks! It may seem strange, but it works well as a replacement for bitters.

Sriracha has a delicious taste that can be used in both sweet and savory drinks. Add a few drops of sriracha to the drink or rim the glass with it to make a spicy cocktail.

Sriracha works particularly well in drinks with a spicy or Asian flavor.

If you can’t locate bitters or want a different taste profile, consider one of these alternatives to tide you over until you can discover exactly what you’re searching for.

FAQs

What are bitters and where do you find them?

While bitters are typically used to flavor individual drinks in modest quantities, they are still regarded a beverage alcohol. Bitters may be found in most liquor stores, as well as certain grocery stores and speciality food stores that sell hard spirits and liquors.

Can you buy bitters under 21?

Bitters are technically alcoholic, with an ABV ranging from 35% to 45%. Because they’re marketed in such tiny amounts and have such a powerful taste, most recipes call for only a dash or a few drops, making the total alcohol contribution insignificant and explaining why you don’t have to be 21 to purchase them.

Why are bitters sold in grocery stores?

Because less than half of the bottle contains real alcohol, most cocktail bitters are offered as non-alcoholic drinks in the United States. This permits them to be sold in supermarkets rather than liquor shops.

What can you substitute for bitters?

Best bitters replacement
Campari. What is the finest bitters substitute? Campari.
Absinthe. Is there another bitters substitute? Absinthe.
Amaro, such as Fernet-Branca. Is there another bitters substitute? Any form of Amaro, a family of bitter Italian herbal liqueurs (amaro meaning bitter in Italian).

What are examples of bitters?

Angostura bitters, Peychaud’s bitters, and orange bitters are the most common forms of bitters. However, there are plenty different varieties available! Fee Brothers produces bitters in tastes such as celery, grapefruit, chocolate, peach, lemon, cherry, rhubarb, plum, and mint.

What is bitters that you put in a drink?

What Exactly Are Bitters? Bitters are high-proof neutral alcohols infused with botanicals such as spices, barks, fruits, roots, flowers, leaves, and herbs. Bitters act as digestive aides or flavoring agents depending on their components and alcohol concentrations. Cocktail bitters are a must-have on every bar’s menu.

Can you buy bitters at a supermarket?

Bitters may be found in the liquor department of most supermarkets. However, not all supermarkets have bitters. If your local shop does not have them, try a liquor store or an ethnic market. Angostura, Peychaud’s, Orange, and Fee Brothers are some prominent bitters brands.

Can bitters get you drunk?

Is it possible to become drunk on bitters? Bitters can definitely get you intoxicated. A few dashes won’t even get you high, but as any savvy drinker will tell you, a normal bottle of bitters is equivalent to roughly three shots of whiskey.

Do I need an ID to buy bitters?

According to Abara Above and Cornell Law School, the reason you don’t have to present your ID when ordering a mocktail is because the US government classified bitters as “non-beverages” because to their high ABV and because they are not drank as beverages would be.

Is bitters high in alcohol?

Bitters’ Alcohol Content

They are typically bottled at 35-45% ABV. Because most bitters are used in dashes or drops, the quantity of alcohol is minute, making determining the ABV tricky. That’s why they’re often sold as non-alcoholic, despite the fact that they’re created with alcohol.

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