Started out of a father-son conversation in December of 2017, the goal of making small-batch bitters began to take shape.
Blacksmith Bitters
I had learned how to work with grain alcohol by making lemoncello, and our own vanilla to use for our baking which we have been making for years and even have given out as Christmas gifts (if you didn’t get any…you weren’t on the list!). So with that base understanding we spent a lot of time in our suburban kitchen focusing on bitters.
There is not a ton available out there on how bitters are made but when you realize that 100 proof grain alcohol can pull out just about any flavor, you can start designing profiles by being patient and letting the spirit do the heavy lifting. Living outside of Seattle, we were fortunate to have a company and staff that became a great resource, The Dandelion Botanical Company, who used to be in the Ballard neighborhood and have since relocated to Sequim.
Believe it or not we made 3 batches our first round. A “house” bitter that was supposed to be like Angostura (it wasn’t), a citrus (lacked some depth), and then something that gave me great hope, an apple.
We got some apples from the farm we go to in Carnation, WA (organic, etc.) and I am not exactly sure what it was, but the flavor was the deepest, reddest apple bitterness I have ever experienced. It is simply delightful and as I joke to anyone that will listen, something the founding fathers would have wanted.
Our next three batches were different and something that we are certainly proud of. I made a deeper, more citrusy bitters round two, a coffee pecan that I made with bourbon and a friend of mine’s espresso roast and lastly, we made a batch of bitters that were a homage to our heritage. I made an “Irish House” bitters using my favorite Irish Whiskey, Tullamore Dew, and many different botanicals. I don’t think this is very common, but boy it was fun and has a very distinct taste, especially when mixed with soda by itself, or in an Old Fashioned.
Each of our 4 flavor profiles has unique herbs, spices, barks, and botanicals, all using organic ingredients when available. Our flavors include Irish House, Citrus, Apple Jack, and Coffee Pecan and come in 2 ounce bottles or our “Be Bitter” 4- pack where you can get 1 each 1/2 oz bottle in a cool box with 3 favorite recipes on the back.
Blacksmith BBQ Rubs
Raising cattle and pigs, I began to work on seasonings that I thought would highlight the natural tastiness of the steak, brisket and chop. I, like many of you, have purchased rubs and shakers from the big brands and leaned on them heavily throughout my cooking life. There were smaller, independent companies that were making some good rubs as well but before you knew it, I had a shelf full of them. I wanted something a little simpler and a little different. It took a couple of years but I landed on something simple and delicious and at first was a “thank you” for ordering a share of beef or pork from our farm. The rubs grew from just beef and pork to including a seafood taco rub. We now have two sizes of each. We have a classic shaker option as well as smaller tobacco-style tins that are fun and easy to leave on the counter or by the grill for a quick top off.
We also carry Kosher Sea Salt that is ideal for your home curing meat and vegetable projects. Sold in 5 lb. bags, we are up to meet up or ship this additive-free salt to your home for your next curing and culinary session.
Our bitters and rubs are now sold in many stores, some small boutique-style, as well as many butchers and hardware stores. For the current updates and locations, follow this journey on our Instagram page and if we aren’t in your favorite meat or BBQ shop, tell them they should carry us!
You can connect to the store here.
If you are interested in selling our bitters or rubs at your store, contact us below!