Recent Updates and a Unicum Bitter Recipe

As we move through summer, I've picked up the pace of video-making, so here is a quick update on some of the things happening around here.

The How to Make Chartreuse video has done well and it is good to see it trending up. For paid members, I have posted 32 recipes collected from different beverage and distillation manuals from the last 200 years, and it is quite a collection. Though none of these will ever be exactly like proper Chartreuse, they provide many details that can inspire you to make your own liqueurs. However, the recipes are often just a combination of essential oils since Chartreuse is a distilled product, so those combinations can be used to create unique non-alcoholic beverages, similar to the Fernet Soda video I published previously.

Flavour Development for Beverages

Though I haven't been promoting it much, the Flavour & Beverage Development course has received positive reviews. Though it is not for everyone, as it digs deep into flavour development, if you plan on creating drinks, either commercially or even as a bartender, this course can really help. Working with professional flavours is a game changer. Even if you plan to hire a consultant to develop your product, this course can maximize your interactions with them by helping you understand the process, and you can even contribute to the flavour development of the product.

 I still offer the Patreon membership discount, so whatever you put into Patreon will be credited as a discount on the course. If you sign up for a yearly membership in the Curiosity ($150) and Drink Maker ($250) membership levels, you will get that amount off the price of the course, plus everything that happens on Patreon for a year.

If you sign up for the one-year Benefactor level, you will get the course for free.

And for current paying members, if you want to take the course, please send me a message asking for a discount code, and I will generate one for whatever amount you've put into Patreon. So if you've put in $100 as a Patreon, you'll get the discount. But if you sign up for a year on the Drink Maker level, I will discount the total amount ($100 + $250) off the course. That would be $350 off the course, making it just $49 to take the course.

Belfast Ginger Ale Info Sheet [Free]

For essential recipes, I usually put together a complete instruction sheet that makes developing the drink much more straightforward when combined with the videos. The Belfast Ginger Ale sheet is free to everyone and is an example of the perks you get as a paid member. So check it out.

Electrolyte Mineral Water Formula Sheet

Electrolytes are all the rage, though electrolytes are just a fancy word for minerals, and mineral waters have been famous for centuries. There are numerous books on the subject, and most soda fountain manuals have a dozen or so formulas for the most common mineral waters.

The formula, along with the video I recently made, provides essential guidance on the chemistry of the salts. You can't simply mix a bunch of salts together and expect to get stable mineral water. The salts tend to react in a predictable way, which allows you to avoid precipitation.

Too many recipes combine more expensive mineral salts, which then react to form chalk, defeating the purpose of good mineral water. So, if you want guidance on making mineral waters or electrolyte beverages, this is a good starting point.

What Alcohol Percent to Use for Extracts & Essences

This is a common question, and the answer can vary because every herb, spice or essential oil has different levels of the compounds you want to capture and ones you want to avoid. And yes, the water content of the alcohol can help separate out things like terpenes. However, some compounds are water soluble, so an increase in water content can help. This is why vanilla is extracted with a lower ABV than other compounds; many of the compounds in vanilla are water-soluble. If you want more details, check out the post.

Tarkhuna (Tarhun) Formula Sheet

Though I made the video on this Georgian beverage, which was created at the same time as Coca-Cola, I never got around to putting the formula sheet together. Well, consider it resolved and if you want all the details on the recipe, it is now available.

Unicum Bitters Recipe

If you are into modern cocktails then you've probably heard of Unicum and when it comes to amaro, Unicum is one of the more potently bitter ones. It is a Hungarian bitter created in 1790, and has an acquired taste. The original recipe claims to have 40 ingredients so the recipe below is posted as more of a curiosity and inspiration for making your own products.

When researching information for videos, I often stumble upon these types of recipes. I can't do all of them in video form, so sharing them "as is" seems reasonable.

Do note that the FDA regulates a few of the ingredients, specifically Calamus root, which is only allowed in alcoholic beverages (sorry, no legal soda options with calamus), as well as Absinthe (Wormwood) at 14 ppm with 0 thujone).

Macerate for 3 to 7 days in 100 gallons (380L) of 42% alcohol. Filter and bottle.

That is it for this update; if you have any questions, post them below.