Why I drink THIS | The Tale of the Bitters Shot
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 มิ.ย. 2024
- In this video I tell you all about the Angostura bitters shot. Angostura is used in lots of classic cocktails, but not so many people know about the story of Tom Nelsen and how he was able to adapt during prohibition to continue serving alcohol because of Angostura bitters. Where I'm from, drinking Angostura has become a tradition, and now I want to pass it on to you. In Door County, Wisconsin, shooting bitters is a part of history. The bitters shot has been a favorite of mine for a long time. If you have a bottle of Angostura bitters, I invite you to join me. Cheers!
Grab the bottles I use here! 👉 bit.ly/AndersBottleCollection
Patreon: / anderserickson
TIME STAMPS
Intro: 0:00
The Story: 0:50
The Shot: 4:31
THE RECIPE
1.5 oz (45 ml) Angostura Aromatic Bitters
Shot Glass
* Not sponsored or affiliated.
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Instagram: / anderserickson
Twitter: / anderserickson_
Facebook: / andersericksoncocktails
Co-produced with the lovely Azusa "Az" Inaba 🎥 🎨
Image attribution:
* Tom Nelsen photo courtesy of Rick Heineman and Washington Island History
* All illustrations by Azusa
Finally, an excuse for me to travel to Wisconsin.
Cheese curds, bro
Try the Lake Geneva Cruise Line!! I’m a mail jumper there and you’d love it!
Spotted cow, too
Door county is a beautiful place Lee!
@@markemenecker5656 omg that stuff is the best brew I’ve ever had, granted I’m not a huge brew guy but I’ve had my fair share and I love it.
Bartender for over fifteen years and we always called it "The Initiation" lol
I also came up with a "reverse old fashioned"- 2 oz Ango, 1/2 oz simple, and a tsp of rye, so I guess I'm crazy too
Wow that honestly sounds so good ! Never heard of that one ! Making it rn
@@mattthabarber How was it?
I’m actually a PTC non taster, so there’s this whole spectrum of bitter chemicals I can’t taste.
As a result, bitters shots are actually slightly sweet to me. I fucking love them.
bitter tastes similar to how chalk feels. This might make sense; it might not.
@@spookz4469 I can still taste bitter, but there’s a large selection of bitter chemicals I can’t taste. So kale and vegetables are somewhat sweet to me. Coffee is still bitter, but to my understanding it’s not nearly as bad.
@@lushedleshen that's so weird to try to comprehend. Really interesting!!
You should order some miracle berries and see how they affect your taste buds! they temporarily alter your tastes buds and sweet and sour foods/drinks are entirely different!
@@killercows3846 it’s not that my tastebuds are strange or confused, there’s just a spectrum of receptors that I either do not have or are VERY insensitive.
In Denmark we do have a tradition for drinking bitters straight, although it's a slightly different kind than the ones used in cocktails - they are maybe more related to things like Fernet Branca. Popular bitters in Denmark are Gammel Dansk (meaning: Old Danish) and Arnbitter. It's common at pubs to order an "Aarhus set", which is a beer and a shot of Arnbitter next to it. Aarhus is the name of a city where that specific bitter is from. So it probably wasn't too foreign for Tom to down some bitter.
Personally, I prefer to sip my shot of Ango with a Mexican Coke back. It's really tasty, and the back and forth between the sweet bubbly soda and the dark spicy bitters is very enjoyable. Give it a try!
Will do! I can see how that would be good. Thank you for the tip!!
Jarritos makes a cola. Their cola is far superior tasting to coke, just saying. But it is kinda hard to find.
Today I'm backing mine with a mango Pepsi. Surprisingly good flavor combination. The cola flavor, the (admittedly probably artificial) mango, the cloves, they all work together to make a very nice and long lasting taste on your palette. I recommend it if you can find a can of mango Pepsi in your area.
@@josephwilliams1915 I don't know if I'd say I like mexican cola more thab coke or mexican coke, but I think it would definately be a really good compliment for angustora bitters
I'm glad I'm not the only one who uses bitters and coke
I enjoyed reading about Nelson's Hall on wikipedia, but it's a lot more interesting to hear the story from a full-fledged member of the bitters club!
I was there! I was 18 or so trying to get home from winter camping on Rock Island. The wind had kicked up overnight and was shoving big ice blocks across the Death's Door straight, stopping ferry service between Washington Island and the peninsula. So, stranded, we went to Nelson's Hall for some grub and to watch a Packers playoff game. Thanks for conjuring up some good old memories.
Love this story - cheers!
As a native Dane, I endorce this practice (although we usually drink the Danish bitters like Dr. Nielsen bitter and Arnbitter, or some of the many Italian bitters, like Fernet Branca).
What a fun story and I have to say, the thought of doing an Ango shot has never crossed my mind. While intense, it was actually far better than I thought it would be. Dare I say it, I kinda liked it.
I've been making cocktails and had a drinking habit since I was 18 and I can't always get alcohol reliably until I turn 21 next year, when I need a few drinks they don't let me down. Much like Tom I immediately saw they sell them to anyone at the grocery store. I'll definitely continue to drink it every once in awhile after my birthday. I drink a bottle to two bottles and it's rather pleasant.
so it gets you drunk????
@@deffinez9651 yes
@@deffinez9651 its about as much alcohol as most liquors and you dont need id to buy. they dont taste too good by themselves though
Correct you can buy Bitters while under age..
Going to save this for whenever I end up in Wisconsin, I will make a point to go way up to Nelsen Hall.
It’s good to hear about obscure places to put on my places to go list. I did the shot with you. Reminds me of a homemade fruit cake I used to make (Alton Brown recipe) but concentrated. Cheers!! Love your channel and early cocktails. I wish more bars knew how to make them. Thanks
I've always used Angostura in my Old Fashioned and have never thought to take a shot of it, until now. Thanks for that experience!
I'm so glad I found this channel , is fun , instructive and makes you want to have a cocktail ..😋💗
Never thought to try it, but I took one with you guys. Full shot! I actually genuinely love it, I love bitter flavors, cinnamon, and cloves so I don’t know why I never thought to try it! Will definitely be asking for this next time I go to the local dive just to see them react lol
While vacationing on St. Thomas my wife and I were at dinner and the waitress noticed that my wife didn’t eat much of her meal and asked if there was a problem. My wife explained that she wasn’t feeling well; her stomach was upset. The waitress brought her a shot of Angostura bitters with a squeeze of lime and it settled my wife’s stomach. I left a substantial tip.
It was better than I thought! Thanks for this video!
Great story! And the graphics are on point too. Always fun! Thx!
This video is a treat. Explanation and historical, love it all around.
I love these kind of stories! Guarantee I will think of that every time I have that bitters now
This was awesome! I’ve never heard this story about Angostura bitters! Very informative and intriguing!
I just discovered your channel on a friend's recommendation, and browsing through your videos I thought...'Huh, a shot of bitters. How very Wisconsin.' So then to click, watch, and find our you're from my favorite place on Earth is wonderful!
Definitely going to do one of these shots later! I'm from the midwest, so not only is Door County a regular vacation destination for my family, but i also subscribed as soon as i saw that Journeyman's bottle on your bar ;)
I'm 60 miles by water or a 9 hour drive from Nelsens and love Ango! Loved my first shot and can't wait to visit the pub!
Had my first shot of bitters with you guys and actually really enjoyed it, needed a chaser this time but it's definitely a taste I'm going to acquire!
You are an absolute gem.
nice story:) glad you shared it with us
Loved this. Thank you!
I had a shot of bitters with you in front of the screen, i was sceptic but it tasted better than i thought it would!
Cheers and thanks for the company!
Love those bitters shots and Nelson's! ❤❤
I will be 'brave' for New Year's Eve -- We love you both and thank you for the videos.
Loved the story. I tried the shot straight after I watched the video and it was delicious! I have always loved bitter drinks and Im quite partial to a Fernet Branca after a meal. However the Angostura was so warm, spicy and delicious. Just like Christmas as you said!
What a fun story! I totally want to go get my bitters card now! Also...Azusa’s reaction is hysterical and I’m OBSESSED with your Halloween costume!
I can’t tell you how happy that costume made me!
Anders Erickson please recycle it and make it a yearly thing! Also...tried the bitters shot! Holy hell thats...INTENSE.
This is so funny. I have become a huge fan of your videos, and found this way back in your vault, and realized that I’ve been to Nelson’s and had the bitters shot! I was just in town for a few days and knew none of the history or lore. Amazing!
Yes ! I took my first bitters shot with you ! My Parents were born in Trinidad so I always saw Angostura Bitters in the fridge cuz we use it for cooking... I am born and raised in Toronto and all I gotta say is you got the best vybez man
Thank you so much, Rishi! I love that you have a link to Trinidad - you were destined to be in the bitters club. Cheers!
I love the esoteric bits of history I get from watching your videos! My "shot" is more like a quarter ounce, haha. It is intense but strangely enjoyable! And I never knew it was for medicinal purposes "repurposed" during Prohibition! :) I got my brother-in-law to try it. Cheers!
in this vein, a video on the Trinidad Sour (one of my favorites) would be super cool!
Definitely - I love the Trinidad Sour. Thanks for the comment!
Ah - what a super story and a great idea. Can’t wait to go and pour a shot now!! All the best from the Atlantic Coast of Ireland ☺️
Very informative - a whole episode on the old Ango, what a great idea! Also good to see Az out from behind the camera. I predict that this channel may one day evolve into one called Az 'n' Anders. Or something like that.
Def need more Az. I like Anders, but Az is pretty. Anders can make a good drink.
@@MichaelMartin-eh6wl Az is very pretty, but Anders has the on-camera/host personality! And I'm here for the drinks and info, not the looks! (Love the looks of the cocktails, though) :D
Fascinating! I live in Evanston, IL but have never made it up to Door County or Washington Island. Now I wanna go just so I can join the bitters club. I love all things bitter- I’m gonna have to try a shot here soon!
Amazing story! Wouldn't get this story anywhere else on TH-cam thank you guys!
Been to Door County and Washington Island many times. Never knew this. Thank you for sharing.
Will be up there this coming week.
I did the shot. It was quite good. I'd be happy to do it again, this time at Nelson's Hall Bitters Pub. I'll also try it with Mexican Coke soon.
Went to a great bar in Chicago called Ward Eight, where the proprietor is from WI and grew up shooting Ango just as you did. His twist on the shot had a small Chartreuse float - I HIGHLY recommend this addition!
Gee Andrew, I thought you'd remember me 😉 Glad you enjoyed the house shot!
@@AndersErickson Yeesh, that was you?! I gotta get it together! Anyway, hope you are well and I look forward to getting back in to see you sometime soon with friends!!
Loved this video, I especially enjoyed the arrows and graphics. I hadn’t noticed them in your more recent videos. I suspect they take an inordinate amount of time, but they are well appreciated in this video. Also, I invited my drinking crew to join the bitters club, and made some cards up. Thanks! That was fun.
I’m 63. Just did a shot and was “pleasantly” surprised. Will do again. Sent a link to this to my brother thus shaming him into doing a shot. He says it’s disturbing. Cheers.
This is such a great story!! I love it. I missed this video from the past! The Bitters Club sounds like a club that matters! Such a great episode, Anders! Yikes to a pint of bitters!! Cheers!!
Haha yeah I don’t know about a whole pint of this stuff! Glad you found the bitters video, Christine! It’s a fun story. Cheers!
Thanks, that was interesting! I've been hearing vague things about the ango shot, and here you've explained it. I am totally down for doing this. I love Angostura bitters so much. I'm going to wait until I get a big bottle like you have because I use the stuff all the time and I'd be in danger of running out. which is not acceptable. I also think it would be the best to do with friends, part of the fun is seeing each other's faces as you take the shot and it hits ya :D.
Wow, just tried a shot! took my breath away a little... But its better than I was expecting! Love the channel, Keep it up. Cheers from Durham UK.
Thanks, Joseph! Welcome to the bitters club!
Just tried it. It's quite yummy 😋 a little bit bitter (no surprises) and a lot spicey for lack of better term. Delightful glad you introduced this tradition to me! Keep up the great work! Cheers!
learned something new 👍🏽 greetings from Denmark 🇩🇰
That’s wonderful to hear! Welcome to the channel! 🥃
holy shit, I actually was intrigued to try this with you... and did. I actually liked it. I guess I will do that with a couple of friends soon. Finally my angustory bitter is getting some good use!
I'm not gonna lie! I'm trying this tonight! 😂
did the shot with you. i love angostura so i definitely need to visit this place if im ever in wisconsin.
This story is so awesome. If it wasn’t before 9 am while I was watching this I would join you.
Just took a shot of the bitters I have on hand (got some orange bitters a while back, so mine tasted like a bitter orange christmas lol) - that was a lot better than I was anticipating, and I can definitely see why people developed a taste for it.
I've had some very angostura-forward cocktails, so I decided to join in with the shot. Drinking it straight really emphasises, like you said, howincredibly clove-y it is. Very enjoyable. But not as nice as a shot of Peychaud in my opinion (also tried that).
Excellent video and tale!
Finally just now seeing this video (thanks TH-cam!) and took my first Ango shot, and I gotta say I quite like it; it’s a lot sweeter than I expected.
OK, just tried the "bitters shot", at home, after watching the episode that said that I should do this! An interesting experiment! I only, just a couple of days ago had a flight of Vermouth. I know this sounds very differant, but, for me these have both been eye opening experiances.
Thank You for for sharing your knowledge, and expertise with the rest of us!
Patrick
I love back stories like this, even if they are partly urban legend. Brilliant!!
Just did my shot of bitter today Anders. Cheers!
Once again another great video - I think made better by Az's reaction! Good job gang!
Thank you, Garth! Yeah, Az’s reaction is priceless 👌
I did the Bitters Shot. It wasn't nearly as unpleasant as I was expecting. Thank you for the idea, Anders.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
Wow that was easily 10 times better than expected. I might do this regularly now.
Loved this!
Subscribed after home girls reaction to half a shot.. commitment!!
It must be love. Or foolishness. Both?
20 year old alcoholic here yes ik it’s bad. I have all my older friends in Mexico rn so I gotta do what I can and theses shots of bitters every like hour very very nice. Excited to get all my friends together to see how they react to it
You pressured me into it. Had my first shot of bitters with the two of you! Cheers!
Nice! Cheers, David!
Cheers!
That was as a great story and video. Wish I had some bitters now, will try it as soon as I can
Thanks, Rogério! I hope you can get your hands on some Angostura and give it a try - Cheers!
Reminds me of my grandmother on my dad's side. She was very German and would regularly look for Underberg bitters to drink. I never could stand the stuff on its own, but I bet it would be great in a drink.
Somewhere in a book from 2005 at Nelson's Hall is my signature and some witty remark after having done that bitters shot
Not sure how I did not stumble upon this gem of a story earlier. Summer trip! I've been wantng to do the Ludington to Manitowac ferry for years...once in Manitowac it would be foolish not to venture up the coast.
Yea I just did one and it’s wonderful
Just now caught this video. So you’re a Door County boy! My grandparents had lakefront property in Gills Rock. Funny thing is for the 36 years that I went up there constantly, I have NEVER been to Washington Island. My grandfather always there was nothing over there and no need to go. LOL. The passenger only ferry used to leave from the dock across harbor from where my grandparents lived.
Definitely need to have a shot of Angostura tonight
I did the shot with you. Never heard of this before. Totally bitter Christmas. Heavy, heavy cloves. Thanks
As a matter of fact I've developed a taste for bitters quite some time ago. Thank you for a great story! It will definitely bring more colours to a shot of bitters. Also a great thing to answer when being asked what in the butt I am doing xD
Cheers and hugs from the snowy Mother Russia! =)
Been there, done that! Great bar with good food. Always a stop on the way to and from Rock Island!
If you're hitting up Rock Island on the trip, you're doing it right! Cheers to you!
Saw this in my moms fridge lol, that brought me to this video. Took two shots and I actually like it a lot. It reminds me of extra strong yagermeister, or black liquorish on steroids. I would actually drink this stuff quite often if it wasn’t 12 dollars for a tiny little bottle. Cheers!!!
Im going to Door County this weekend, definitely going to do this!
I love angostura bitters. Gentian root extract which is the main ingredient in Angostura. Utters is also the main ingredient in my absolute favorite soda called Moxie. It started out as a medicine then was turned into a soda. It was the first mass marketed soda in the country.
OMG Az is incredible. does she do all the awesome camera work and editing too?
I like when Az is in the videos! Can’t wait to take shots of bitters with you again!
Yay! I like when she steps in too. And yes, more bitters!
That was delightful! Reminds me of Underberg!
Very cool story! Bonus points for the Bitter costume!
I'm late to the game, but just watched your video and joined you in a Bitters Shot. I've enjoyed Underberg for a while now, but for some reason I hadn't before thought of pouring myself a shot of Angostura. (Yeah, I don't know why, either.) I like it! Good for what ails ya. Cheers!
Wow. Never thought of pouring myself a shot of Ango. I have to try it! :) Cheers
Just tried that Angoshot tonight. Wow! Wasn't expecting that much of flavors in such a small shot.
I spent several Summer vacations in Door County when I was a kid. My Dads Aunt & Uncle had a beautiful cabin on the bay side…beautiful country. 35 years ago my buddy Fritz and I flew up to Door County after attending the EAA air show in Oshkosh. We bicycle camped and spent a day on beautiful Washington Island. I’ll have to do a shot of Angostura before I go back to Oshkosh this year with my brother. Cheers!
Love that you're able to get up there! Definitely do the shot and join the club - cheers!
Tried it - that was WILD. The flavors just kept on coming. Enjoyed it quite a bit more than I expected to. Cheers!
Hubby and I became full fledged members for our first anniversary! Good excuse to continue to visit Door County ☺️🥂
So much charisma that I got out of bed at nearly midnight to do a shot with you! I enjoyed it and the evolution was really interesting. It weirdly reminded me of crab boil without the heat and orange peel.
Cheers to you! Thanks for doing the shot - welcome to the club!
I’ve never tried bitters but love Amaro. I lived in Naples Italy for a few years. It is helpful after a big Italian meal!
..got some bitter's today and joined you for the shot!
This was really cool! I have been watching your videos for awhile, and am a native Wisconsinite! I did not even know this story, but will occasionally do a shot of bitters! It started when I was a brewer at Central Waters (if you know them), and developed an "Old Fashioned" themed beer aged in both brandy and bourbon barrels. After aging and prior to packaging we would add Angostura (within the legal limit for adding spirits to a finished beer). Anyways, I ordered it in 5 gallon jugs and we had a good amount leftover...so we all were doing shots at the brewery of Angostura. I've loved it ever since. Thank you for the history!
Love this story! Cheers, Simon!
Dude I live in sister bay! So cool! Awesome you know this story.
Y'all had me 99.9% convinced to do it with you, but it's late and I have to be back at work in less than seven hours. I'll be sure to circle back to this video on the weekend.
#excuses
When I tended bar, I made a coctail with equal parts Angostura bitters, gin, and rose water.
Anders, I've been making old fashioned's all night (courtesy of your videos, ty again)
Then I wondered if you could shoot bitters, so I looked it up and there you were.
I legit paused when you said join me and poured a shot.
I won't lie, I doubt I'll do this again.
Haha love this!