Dashers and Other Bitters Bottles

[spoon]

does anyone still make these?

[DrinkBoy]

The term "dashers" are often used to refer to the cork+pourer that would be inserted into a bitters bottle in order to allow it to be used to dispense cocktail bitters in "dashes". It can also be used to refer to the bitters bottle (with dasher cork) as a unit.

Perhaps the best known version of this is the "Hazel Atlas" one that crops up on eBay all of the time.

Unfortunately, no longer being made. Back in those days, when bars had many different types of bitters, there were several different types of bottles that you could find. Fostoria made some beautiful cut-glass ones, as did many other manufacturers.

However, that doesn't mean you can't find a modern bitters bottle if you look hard enough... just not here in the US.

On some of my trips abroad, I often see bartenders dashing out not only bitters, but pernod, amer picon, and other such ingredients using very nice looking bottles which appear to be available through WMF... but again, just not sold here in the US. I keep meaning to try to contact WMF and try to order some of these... but thought and deed just haven't come together yet :->

I have recently picked up a few bitters bottles from APS Glass & Bar Supply(Amsterdam). You can see it pictured here:

(http://www.apssupply.com/APS/products/M200DB.jpg)

Fortunately, mine didn't come with the black industrial rubber cork shown here, but instead came with the cork shown in this picture (also from APS):

(http://www.apssupply.com/APS/products/00065.jpg)

This second bitters bottle I also have, but had picked up years ago from another supplier. I don't like it as well, not only do I find the "crackled glass" to be a little too fragile (several have broken on me), but also the top of the bottle isn't as carefully produced, and the sizing ends up varying quite a bit. In some the opening is so small the cork barely fits, while in others the opening is so large that the cork also doesn't quite fit.

-Robert

[andiesenji]

From time to time these bottles are available at Cost Plus World Market and a Pier One, usually at holiday time.

I buy them to fill with home made flavorings and give as gifts. They usually have a solid cap and the cap with the tube (or whatever you call it) attached to the bottle with a plastic string.

They are usually next to the little spice bottles/jars with the glass tops that have a ground glass stopper.

They come in three sizes, 2 oz, 4 oz and 8 oz.

A larger bottle with cap similar to a liquor pourer is also available for infused oils, vinegars, etc. Those also have two caps, one solid and one with the pourer.

[Carolyn Tillie]

I get it now -- and can elaborate that we use them in the wine industry at pourings. But beyond what Andiesenji indicated, they are made in as little as 1/4 ounce pours as well. We have purchased 1/4 ounce, 1/2 ounce, 3/4 ounce, 1 ounce, etc...

I'm sorry I can't find the commercial site that has these in the dozen different sizes I know of... I just never realized they were also called Dashers!

[DrinkBoy]

I think Andiesenji is getting a little bit off-mark, and Carolyn is getting further off-mark.

I "think" Andiesenji is actually describing just a standard oil bottle (please correct me if I'm wrong!) which is different from a dasher.

And Carolyn appears to be describing a "Posi-Pour". Which are -great- for portion controlling wine at tasting events. However I also often see them used at Williams-Sonoma on their oil bottles that they set out to allow people to try different flavored dipping oils. For a "store" I can see the use here, they don't want somebody to accidently pour oil out all over the place, but at home, for pouring out oil, I don't think they are terribly handy.

-Robert

[Carolyn Tillie]

Okay, Robert -- I think you are correct. And if it is any consolation, those Posi-Pour things suck big giant rocks anyway. Major drips, at least with wine bottles!

[spoon]

hi, thanks for the welcome! :)

I was indeed referring to the cork topper. Sounds like it's something a little hard to find! I guess I'll hit the auction sites. Thanks for the help all.

[DrinkBoy]

Carolyn,

I've used Posi-Pour spouts in the past for serving "wine tastings" and don't remember having any problems with drips.

Spoon,

Are you looking for dashers to fit antique bottles (ie. Hazel Atlas) or to use on some other bottles that you have found that you'd like to "use" as bitters bottles?

I doubt you'll have much luck finding "just" dashers on eBay or other auctions sites, you'll most likely have to buy the bitters bottles with them. And most of the bitters bottles that I've picked up (that still had their dashers), the dashers were in poor shape.

you could try contacting WMF to see if you can buy some replacement dashers for the types of bitters bottles they sell. Those dashers won't fit the Hazel Atlas bottles (too big). Their size essentially fits a beer bottle quite well, so if the bottles that you are using have the same opening size as a beer bottle, they'll work for you.

-Robert

[andiesenji]

I think Andiesenji is getting a little bit off-mark, and Carolyn is getting further off-mark.

I "think" Andiesenji is actually describing just a standard oil bottle (please correct me if I'm wrong!) which is different from a dasher.

And Carolyn appears to be describing a "Posi-Pour". Which are -great- for portion controlling wine at tasting events. However I also often see them used at Williams-Sonoma on their oil bottles that they set out to allow people to try different flavored dipping oils. For a "store" I can see the use here, they don't want somebody to accidently pour oil out all over the place, but at home, for pouring out oil, I don't think they are terribly handy.

-Robert

←

No, I know the difference between an oil bottle and the little bottles I use for hot sauce and for flavorings.

I would not place vanilla that I have spent time and trouble making in a bottle with a large opening.

The ones I described are similar to these these with the orifice reducer so they dispense one drop at a time.

The 5 ounce ones I get for hot sauce are like these That now also have an orifice reducer.

The ones I found at Cost Plus are a bit different but they are apparently made in Europe and I don't know the name of the maker.

They have a cap similar to that on a Tabasco bottle but with a slightly smaller aperture.

I should add that some health food stores that cater to people who mix aromatherapy liquids may carry the bottles or will special order them in quantity.

Edited December 14, 2004 by andiesenji (log)

[andiesenji]

There is a source for the dasher or dash pourer (for bitters)

From Rist, an Austrian company.

these are the tops.

The only problem is that they require ordering a certain amount, money wise.

[DrinkBoy]

Andiesenji,

Thanks for the additional details... a picture is definately worth a thousand words... or at the very least a couple hundred :->

One set of bottles that you listed (the first set), are what I use for dispensing scented oils, takes several seconds just for a single drop... never thought about using them for bitters. The lower viscosity of bitters might actually work well.

...but I've never seen these at a Cost Plus, guess I need to drop in more often.

What I've actually found quite handy for dispensing bitters is good old-fashioned "eye-dropper" bottles. I usually carry several 1/4 ounce bottles with me with various bitters in them, just in case I happen to be at a bar without something I'm needing for a drink I'm hankering for.

As for "Rist", I've made purchases from them in the past, this was the company refered to in "...but had picked up years ago from another supplier..." of my previous post. They had a rather high minimum order, and in additon to a dozen "dashers" and a several bitters bottles (only a couple of which survived shipment) I had to order a couple hundred dollars worth of stuff just to meet their minimum order. The dashers they sell are the same that WMF (as well as APS Glass & Bar Supply) uses in their bitters bottles, and are too large for the Hazel Atlas bottles.

-Robert

[Chris Amirault]

I'm bumping this up because a lot of the links are dead (though not this one, which looks intriguing) and I'm wondering what sorts of bottles people are using for their homemade bitters besides recycled Angostura bottles. I'm also wondering if there are other bottle & dropper options save for these 1/2 oz amber glass ones and these 1/2 and 2 oz Nalgene squeezers.

[eje]

While I haven't ordered from them yet, some friends swear by Specialty Bottle:

Specialty Bottle

[jmfangio]

This company looks like a good source as well. Haven't ordered from them yet, but I always save cool looking bottles like this one (yes, I'm one of those people who will go to the Japanese market and try a new brand of sake based solely on how pretty the bottle is) and I'd like to get some of the orifice reducers. Edited January 15, 2008 by jmfangio (log)

[johnder]

If you feel like dropping some serious scratch, you can get a few options from this german bar supply store.

http://barstuff.de/index.php?sid=3&prodid=1104

or

http://barstuff.de/index.php?sid=3&prodid=87

They also sell just the dasher tops.

[eas]

Stephan (Bitter Truth) shared with me a few dasher tops similar to these - I'll bring them around to test when in NY later this month.

[BittermensAG]

If you only need a couple of bottles - Mountain Rose Herbs can do single bottles. The Euro-Dropper (what Mountain Rose calls a dropper bottle) behaves a little different than the typical Angostura bottle, but it still works.

If you want to go bulk, SKS Bottle is great - I've been using them for over a year. The classic dasher-style bottle used by Angostura/Fees/etc are called "Woozy" bottles and they have it in 12 pack cases.

[Chris Amirault]

Grabbed some of those Nalgene squeezers and amber droppers from The Container Store, which are meeting the need.

[Chris Hennes]

While I haven't ordered from them yet, some friends swear by Specialty Bottle:

Specialty Bottle

←

This is where I get my bitters bottles (the dropper variety) and bottles for syrups (the plastic squeeze bottles). I just wish the squeeze bottles came in a larger size. I go through the simple syrup pretty quickly.

ETA: They look to be quite a bit less expensive than the container store, at least for the amber dropper bottles. All of mine were under $1 each, with pretty cheap shipping, at least if you are buying a bunch.

Edited January 29, 2008 by Chris Hennes (log)