Bitter Bubble

Given the luxury of a bit of free time, even in less-than-ideal circumstances, busy minds can produce wonders. This is very much the case with Bitter Bubble, a unique and creative bitters soda brought fully to life during Covid times by engineer, George Martin, and eight-time James Beard nominated chef, Eric Warnstedt. 

George and Eric had been kicking around the idea of a more complex seltzer inspired by botanical cocktails since the early 2010s. They were responding to the interesting things happening at the bars of Prohibition Pig and Hen of the Wood in Waterbury, VT, namely the shift in popularity from sweet drinks like the piña colada and the Long Island iced tea, to more bitter, complex, and aromatic concoctions, like the Negroni. 

Originally formulated and sold as medicinal tonics, bitters are traditionally made with herbs, spices, roots, flower buds, and other aromatic ingredients and result in potable and non-potable mixtures. Potable bitters are formulated with a low enough concentration of the bitter ingredients to be pleasantly drinkable on their own, while non-potable bitters are more concentrated and are meant to be mixed into a drink. Both can ultimately be used as mixers in cocktails. According to the Mob Museum in Los Angeles, the popularity of drinks mixed with bitters rose in popularity in the United States during the prohibition era as a way of masking the sometimes unsavory flavors of less-than-legal alcohol produced at that time. Luckily, that is not the reason for their reemergence.

 Herbal cocktails are often slower sippers, inviting the drinker to stop for a moment and savor the complexity of what they are taking in. Craft cocktail mixes become an exciting adventure for the palette – what is that flavor? How does blood orange interact with chamomile? How does sour cherry interact with chicory? How does rhubarb interact with hibiscus? The drink becomes an awareness tool rather than merely a social lubricant. This experiential value, along with the growing interest in non-alcoholic beverages, was exactly the spark that led George and Eric to experiment with creating a non-alcoholic bitters soda. If the flavors are compelling, why should they only be available in cocktails? Can we just have this experience every day at lunch? Happily, the answer is yes! 

With this inspiration solidified, George and Eric began their side gig as mad scientists, mixing extracts together in their free time, searching for just the right flavors to satisfy the bitters itch. They both agreed that the NA flavors on the market at the time were a bit lacking and that they did not enjoy dealcoholized drinks, so while the flavors they settled on were heavily referential to the history of bitters cocktails, If a flavor did not work as a seltzer, rather than a cocktail, it was not going to be part of the lineup. This process also led to throwing out flavor ideas they’d held onto for years in order to achieve the results they were looking for. Many drinks were mixed. Many drinks were axed. George describes this as one of the most challenging phases in the business, as well as one of the most satisfying. 

The brand has steadily grown to capacity just from community enthusiasm and word of mouth. Bitter Bubble is still George and Eric working with their packer to fulfill as many orders as they can. They like to think of the people who drink Bitter Bubble as a club since they still have so much direct contact with those who distribute and drink the product across New England. The demand for the product is national, with requests to ship across the country, a testament to the quality of the product, but George and Eric are happy with their mostly New England Bitter Bubble Club for now.

Blood Orange & Chamomile

Blood Orange and Chamomile is a nod to the traditional Angostura Bitters mixed with soda. Blood Orange & Chamomile has subtle citrus notes on the nose, is a bit more delicate, and provides a distinctive bitter backbone on the finish. 

Sour Cherry & Chicory

This one is made with the soda drinker in mind. Sour Cherry and Chicory starts with aromas of cherry cola, has a more robust flavor, and the bitter base kicks in to create a complex alternative to the sweet stuff.

Rhubarb & Hibiscus

Rhubarb and Hibiscus is aromatic, exotic and refreshing. Flavors that appear direct and straightforward become more intricate as the botanical formula creates depth, structure, and uniqueness.

Written by Sarah Galgano