A sampling of bitters. (Photo: Michael Anstendig)

Cocktail bitters, unsung heroes of the libation world, got their props yesterday at Julie Reiner’s Clover Club in Brooklyn. Artisanal drink jockeys like Jim Meehan and Don Lee (PDT), Alex Day and Joaquin Simo (Death & Company) and even the honorable king of cocktails, Dale DeGroff, were on hand for an educational immersion into this macerated realm.

With origins as patent medicines and tonics said to cure malaria, dyspepsia, even cancer (!), bitters were ultimately rehabilitated and repurposed as a defining element of the cocktail. What they bring to the equation: aroma, balance and the ability to soften harsh spirits. Bitters impresario Stephan Berg demonstrated nine saloon-era cocktails and explained why the particular herbaceous tinctures were used in each. Dave Wondrich added historical insights while Brian Miller (Death & Company) bravely batched out the bevvies for all to enjoy.

Of particular note was the Martinez, a forerunner of the martini and a close cousin of the Manhattan, made here with Bols Genever (a recently reintroduced malty Dutch precursor to today’s gin), Italian vermouth, curaçao and Angostura bitters. The tipple was slightly sweet with hints of chocolate, an unthinkably far cry from today’s chaste vodka renditions. Once obscure bit players, bitters are definitely back.—Michael Anstendig