Boker's Bitters was a brand of
bitters
Bitters (plural also ''bitters'') is traditionally an alcoholic preparation flavored with botanical matter for a bitter or bittersweet flavor. Originally, numerous longstanding brands of bitters were developed as patent medicines, but now a ...
manufactured by the L. J. Funke Company of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
. The ingredient is specified in nearly every cocktail that called for bitters in
Jerry Thomas' 1862 book, ''How to Mix Drinks or The Bon Vivant's Companion''. Among the ingredients were
cassia,
cardamom
Cardamom (), sometimes cardamon or cardamum, is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera ''Elettaria'' and ''Amomum'' in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. They are r ...
, and bitter orange peel.
The Boker's company was a leading brand of bitters until the
Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906
The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, also known as Dr. Wiley's Law, was the first of a series of significant consumer protection laws which was enacted by Congress in the 20th century and led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration ...
and eventually closed during the
Prohibition era
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic be ...
in the 1920s.
History
Johann Gottlieb Böker created the bitters in 1828. The Boker's company was a leading brand of bitters until the
Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906
The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, also known as Dr. Wiley's Law, was the first of a series of significant consumer protection laws which was enacted by Congress in the 20th century and led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration ...
and eventually closed during the
Prohibition era
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic be ...
in the 1920s.
Until 2009, no samples of the bitters were known to exist, and as the recipe had never been published, recreating it seemed unlikely. That year, a man showed up at the London Bar Show with a small remaining sample, which was then combined with extensive research (including interviewing descendants of John Boker), to recreate a facsimile of the bitters.
Consequentially, as a result of the collaborative effort of beverage aficionados, the likely recipe began circulating online, and several well-established, modern bitters brands began offering their own renditions of the Boker's recipe — whether in perpetuity or as a one-off. Those brands include Philadelphia distillers, Dr. Adam Elmegirab, and The Bitter Truth.
Cocktails with Boker’s Bitters
*Absinthe Cocktail
*
Champagne Cocktail
A champagne cocktail is an alcoholic cocktail made with sugar, Angostura bitters, Champagne, brandy, and a maraschino cherry as a garnish. It is one of the IBA official cocktails. Other variations include Grenadine, Orange bitters, Cognac (su ...
*East India Cocktail
*Faivre's Pousse Cafe
*Fancy Brandy Cocktail
*Gin Cocktail
*Improved Cocktail
*Japanese Cocktail
*Jersey Cocktail
*Knickerbein
*
Manhattan Cocktail
*
Martinez
*Old Tom Gin Cocktail
*St. Croix Crusta
*Saratoga Cocktail
*Sherry Wine and Bitters
*Soda Cocktail
*Vermouth Cocktail
*Whiskey Cocktail
*Whiskey Crusta
References
External links
The Bitters TruthThe Bitter Truth Bogart's Bitters (Bokers Bitters Replica)Boker's BittersReview: Dr Adam Elmegirab Bitters*
ttp://awesomedrinks.com/blogs/bitters-reviews-and-tasting-notes/7409486-bokers-bitters-by-adam-elmegirab-review-notes Boker's Bitters by Adam Elmegirab Review / NotesThe New and Improved Illustrated Bartenders' Manual; Or: How to Mix Drinks of the Present StyleJerry Thomas' Bartenders Guide: How to Mix All Kinds of Plain and Fancy Drinks
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boker's Bitters
Bitters
Defunct food and drink companies based in New York City