Bennett Bitters Wild Hunt

Bennett Bitters Wild Hunt is a cocktail bitters, which puts it in the seasoning category of the bar rather than the sipping category. The name suggests a darker, more savory or woodsy profile than citrus or aromatic-spice bitters, but the product details give no flavor notes, ingredient list or ABV. Treat the following as what to expect from the style, and check the label for specifics. Bitters like this are potent and concentrated, so they are measured in dashes, not pours. A typical dash from a standard bottle is a few drops, and most drinks take two to four. In a spirit-forward drink, bitters supply the bitterness and aromatic depth that sugar and dilution would otherwise flatten. Expect the dominant impression to be dry and bittersweet, with herbal or spice-driven aromatics and very little sweetness of its own. The most direct use is the Old Fashioned. Muddle or stir a sugar cube or a teaspoon of rich syrup with a few dashes, add two ounces of bourbon or rye, stir over a large cube, and finish with an orange peel. The same approach works in a Manhattan (rye, sweet vermouth, two dashes, stirred and strained into a chilled coupe) and in a Sazerac-style drink, where the bitters can share the glass with absinthe or another anise spirit. Darker, spicier bitters also suit rum and aged tequila, for example in an Old Fashioned built on añejo. Beyond cocktails, a few dashes in a tall glass of soda water or tonic with a lemon wedge makes a low-sugar, bitter-forward long drink. A dash or two can also season a glass of ginger beer, a dark-spirit highball, or a simple syrup for desserts and braised dishes. Add bitters a dash at a time and taste between additions, because a heavy hand is hard to correct.