Notes: Made in the original Dutch Schultz Bootleg Distillery in Pine Plains, New York, Where moonshine for New York Cities thirsty masses where longing for alcohol during the long dark night of prohibition in this country (1919-1933). Restored (at least most of it – some of it remains off limits due to insurance) and revived Dutch’s Spirits now produces a series of three bitters, this the Colonial Cocktail Bitters, Boomtown Cocktail Bitters, and Prohi-Bitters, along with Dutch’s Spirits New York Sugar Wash Moonshine.
The Colonial Cocktail bitters include among other spices the following; Hungarian angelica seed, Pakistani red rose petals, Gabon sandalwood, French lavender, American bitter orange peel, and Egyptian chamomile. Smaller amounts of juniper, Mexican allspice, and real Ceylon cinnamon ( a much more fragrant but milder form a cinnamon)

Appearance: Clear gold/orange/brown shade that is hard to define.

First Impression: Reminds me a lot of Chartreuse, spicy,herbal, and earthy all intertwined into a savory mix.

Taste: Similar to but different from a real Angustora (not the brand) type bitters , a little like Swedish Bitters but without the myrrh. A spicy,smoky, and intensely herbal bitters that is at first, herbal, then spicy, with tobacco like overtones. A very old style type of bitters that harks back to a more apothecary type influence. Very old school bitters and delicious.

Drinks: Gives some wonderful depth and complexity to Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, and other whiskey cocktails.

Bottle: Comes in two sizes that are very different from each other.The 1 OZ size (that is found in a 3 pack of Prohi -Bitters, Boomtown, and Colonial for $15.95) comes in a very dark brown pharmaceutical bottle with a very high grade nylon dasher insert that delivers a 3 drop dash quite consistently. The 4 OZ bottles are the same shade of glass but have dropper caps for more precise dosage or placement of bitters ( quite useful for Pisco Sours and such)

Other: This photo shows  the one oz bottle from the 3 pack set. The 4 Oz bottles have Dropper Stoppers on them. Also check out their DIY kits for Williams Sonoma (on their website and Williams Sonoma)

Final Thoughts: As noted before a down side for bean counting bar managers is cost. Yes, it costs four times as much as the cheap stuff – but take a look at our Bitter Math page to see how meaningless that is.

Website: http://dutchsspirits.com