Swedish bitters

[mbanu]

Picked up a bottle of this stuff at my local hippie grocery store. It was produced by a company called Nature Works, but as far as I can gather, the formula for Swedish bitters is public knowledge, and several companies produce the stuff. It makes an interesting Old-Fashioned or wet Martini, and I would recommend keeping an eye out for it if you're itching for a new type of bitters to play around with.

[Martin Doudoroff]

Care to describe the flavor profile?

[gethin]

It makes an interesting Old-Fashioned or wet Martini,

←

Not sure what Paracelsus would have had to say about that !

Traditionally Swedish bitters are used to treat blood disorders, digestive problems and constipation and externally for insect bites and such like. Some people also use them to treat ear infections.

The ingredients of one popular brand (Optimum Health Co) are "Aloe, Angelica, Rhubarb Roots, Senna Leaves, Theriac Venezian (Blacksnake Root, Cinnamon Bark, Malabar Cardamon, Valerian Root), Zedvoary Roots, Carline Thistle Roots, Myrrh, Camphor, Manna, Saffron"

I'm not sure how true that is to Paracelsus's original 16th century formulation. I think Gentian is often included.

Certainly in the UK you can get a mix of herbs for home preparation of Swedish Bitters from any decent herbalist (Baldwins for instance). Its then a matter of steeping them in alcohol.

My recollection is that Swedish Bitters taste absolutely foul, though I've never tried them in a cocktail.

gethin

.

[mbanu]

The ingredients of one popular brand (Optimum Health Co) are "Aloe, Angelica, Rhubarb Roots, Senna Leaves, Theriac Venezian (Blacksnake Root, Cinnamon Bark, Malabar Cardamon, Valerian Root), Zedvoary Roots, Carline Thistle Roots, Myrrh, Camphor, Manna, Saffron"

I'm not sure how true that is to Paracelsus's original 16th century formulation. I think Gentian is often included.

Certainly in the UK you can get  a mix of herbs for home preparation of Swedish Bitters from any decent herbalist  (Baldwins for instance). Its then a matter of steeping them in alcohol.

My recollection is that Swedish Bitters taste absolutely foul, though I've never tried them in a cocktail.

gethin

←

Is the Optimum Health Swedish bitters ingredient list ordered by amount used? In the stuff I've got Manna ash stems (twigs? bark?) is the dominant ingredient, with aloe coming in 4th... might be one of those things where the flavor profile varies depending on who's making it, like with orange bitters.

I've found it to be about as foul as drinking any of the other "non-potable bitters" straight, but I'd probably have to do a side by side taste test to be sure.

I'll see what I can do about those tasting notes.

Edited July 24, 2006 by mbanu (log)

[azlee]

Picked up a bottle of this stuff at my local hippie grocery store. It was produced by a company called Nature Works, but as far as I can gather, the formula for Swedish bitters is public knowledge, and several companies produce the stuff. It makes an interesting Old-Fashioned or wet Martini, and I would recommend keeping an eye out for it if you're itching for a new type of bitters to play around with.

←

I've seen this brand [Nature Works] of Swedish bitters in health food stores but it's sold as a gentle colon cleanser. Perhaps, it's all about proportion since many alcoholic bitters are sold as a digestive.

[mbanu]

I've seen this brand [Nature Works] of Swedish bitters in health food stores but it's sold as a gentle colon cleanser. Perhaps, it's all about proportion since many alcoholic bitters are sold as a digestive.

←

According to the Internet, Swedish bitters are also good for sobering up drunks and curing cancer, hemorrhoids, and the plague.

Here's my attempt at that profile. (My apologize in advance, flavor profiling isn't my strong point)

Very resinous nose, less spicy than Angostura. Camphor, menthol, and something that was kinda like pine (maybe the Manna ash?), as well as some other stuff I couldn't identify. Taste was bitter and spicy, the sort of herbal tea meets high-proof spirits flavor that you get with most bitters. Slightly drier than Angostura, if you can call Angostura sweet. Slightly lighter color (although not as light as orange bitters), might be a bit less concentrated than Angostura. Long, lingering resinous aftertaste.