BiTTer is BesT
Spirit House
Jeff Carroll is the owner/
operator of Carroll & Co,
a company that creates
cocktail mixes, syrups,
and bitters.
Serious imbibers
need to stop by
this downtown
bar. Choose from a
wide selection of single
malt scotch, American
whisky, and bourbon. Or
from a list of smoked Old
Fashioneds in flavours like
maple and pecan, roasted
pear and vanilla, and cigar
and coffee. You’ll find it
hard to settle on just one
beverage from the extensive
list that features drinks like the
Mayan Remedy, which features
a flavourful hibiscus infused
mezcal and smoked pineapple/
ginger agua-fresca. Out with
someone who isn’t a fan of
spirits? You don’t have to drink
What are bitters?
Bitters are a concentrated
flavour made using alcohol
as the preservative as well
as the means of flavour
extraction. There are typical
aromatic bitters, like Angos-
tura, cherry, and orange
bitters, as well as digestive
bitters like Aperol.
What makes a good bitter?
It starts with a good base
spirit and complex flavours
that intrigue the taste buds.
I usually start with a spirit
that has a little bit of flavour
as a backbone and then
infuse from there.
alone—there ’s also a great
selection of craft beers on tap
and VQA wine.
Must-try: The pink grapefruit
and ginger gin and tonic.
It’s made with Ungava gin, a
unique Canadian spirit made
with Nordic juniper and wild
rosehips, and cloudberries.
487 Adelaide St. W.,
spirithousetoronto.com
Take iT Back wiTh You
If you want to recreate any of the
drinks you sampled at home, visit
BYOB Cocktail Emporium (972 Queen
St W., cocktailemporium.com) and
Organic Boutique (970 Queen St. W.,
organicboutique-toronto.com) right next door. Pick up everything
you need—from shakers, strainers, and glassware, to bitters, syrups,
and even paper umbrellas to complete your home bar.
18 where
May-June 2018
Why use bitters?
Bitters are described as the
“seasoning” of a cocktail.
Bitters are an essential part
of a full balance flavour
profile (sweet, sour, bitter,
salt, umami), and help to
aid digestion and stimulate
the appetite. The bitter you
choose depends on the end
result you want. They aren’t
all necessarily just super
bitter in taste, sometimes
they can be a bit sweet to
offer balance.
What’s a must-try drink you
would recommend?
One of my favourite cock-
tails is the Tom Selleck from
Drake One Fifty (150 York
St.). It has Monkey Shoulder
blended malt Scotch,
Laphroaig Scotch, Punt e
Mes, Lucano, Benedictine
and Masala Chai bitters.