Take home a piece of cocktail bitters history with this very giftable set from Dr. Adam Elmegirab.

The two-piece set includes one (1) bottle of Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Boker's Bitters and one (1) copy of Dr. Adam Elmegirab's meticulously researched Book of Bitters, which tells the "the bitter and twisted history of one of the cocktail world's most fascinating ingredients."

Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Boker's Bitters are formulated to approximate the original Boker's Bitters recipe from the 1800s. Back then, Boker's Bitters were considered the finest of all cocktail bitters. They were also the preferred brand of Professor Jerry Thomas, author of the guide "How to Mix Drinks or The Bon Vivant's Companion" and the most famous bartender of his day.

To come up with his historically accurate Boker's representation, Elmegirab tested original samples, referenced historical medical guides, and unearthed a series of counterfeit recipes dating as far back as 1853. The resulting bitters feature a blend of orange peel, green cardamom, catechu, quassia bark, and cloves, with wood and eucalyptus on the nose, coffee and orange on the palate, and an intensely bitter finish.

Also included in the set is Elmegirab's gorgeous hardcover bitters guide, which walks you through bitters' rich history--from the promotion of "elixirs" by snake-oil salesmen to the birth of the cocktail and its 19th-century heyday, the subsequent industry crash following Prohibition, and the renaissance of bitters as an essential part of the contemporary bartender's tool kit.

As well as the history, Elmegirab outlines each of the key botanicals that go into bitters and explains the science of taste and flavor. In fascinating detail, he describes how each characteristic can be deployed for maximum impact and summarizes the key techniques for making great cocktails.

Most importantly, the book offers 50 cocktail recipes created by Elmegirab and some of the world's leading bartenders. These exceptional drinks showcase the different characteristics of bitters and how they can be employed to refine the drinking experience.

Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Book of Bitters & Boker's Bitters Set is essential to any well-stocked cocktail library and makes an excellent gift for professional bartenders as well as home cocktail enthusiasts.

• Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Boker's Cocktail Bitters
  • Handcrafted in Scotland
  • Based on a bitters formula created by Johann Gottlieb Böker in 1828
  • Boker's Bitters gained popularity around the World as the finest bitters of the Golden Age of mixed drinks
  • Boker's were famously the preferred brand of Professor Jerry Thomas, and were featured throughout his book "How to Mix Drinks or The Bon Vivant's Companion," now recognized as the World's first bartender's guide.
  • Tasting and analyzing original samples, referencing historical medical guides, as well as unearthing court records and a series of counterfeit recipes dating as far back as 1853, Adam Elmegirab used these findings to reformulate a historically accurate representation of Boker's Bitters and brought them back to market in 2009
  • Crafted from overproof spirits, water, herbs, spices, caramel and seven botanicals
  • Key Botanicals: orange peel, cardamom, catechu, quassia bark, and cloves
  • Tasting Notes:
    • Nose: Eucalyptus-pine and cardamom woody nose
    • Taste: Intensely bitter with cardamom, coffee and orange
    • Finish: Seemingly everlasting bitter finish with hints of coffee
  • Works well with Cognac, genever, Old Tom gin, whiskies, lemon, passion fruit, honey, maple, grapes, pears, cacao, orgeat, and coffee??.
• Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Book of Bitters
  • Written by Adam Elmegirab, the founder of Dr Adam Elmegirab's Bitters based in Aberdeen, Scotland
  • Adam travels extensively, writes for a number of drinks media publications, is an academy member for Drink International's World's 50 Best Bars awards, collaborates with a number of world-famous bars and brands, and regularly presents seminars and tastings at international cocktail events
  • Adam presents the results of almost a decade of research into the world of bitters, guiding you from the "elixir's" early promotion by snake-oil salesmen through to the birth of the cocktail and its 19th-century heyday, the subsequent industry crash following Prohibition, and the renaissance of bitters as an essential part of the contemporary bartender's tool kit
  • As well as the history, Adam outlines each of the key botanicals that go into bitters, be it angostura bark, wormwood, or star anise
  • The book explains the science of taste and flavor, describing how each characteristic can be deployed for maximum impact, and summarizes the key techniques for making great cocktails
  • Includes 50 cocktail recipes created by Adam and some of the world's leading bartenders
  • These exceptional drinks showcase the different characteristics of bitters - be it mouth-watering acidity, taste-enhancing saltiness, or a hit of savory umami - and how the flavors they impart can refine a cocktail in unique ways