Jon’s house bitters

2 cups high-proof bourbon or rye whiskey
1 vanilla bean, split down the middle
1-2 sprigs mint, depending on leaf size and potency
Peel from 1 orange (try to avoid getting the pith in there)
1 star anise
5-6 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice berries
6 cracked cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks (I prefer the wide-barked Cassia cinnamon available at Asian markets)
1 teaspoon gentian root (available locally at Herbiary on North Market Street)
1 dried or freeze-dried cherry (sour cherries work best, but Bing cherries will do in a pinch)
1/2-1 ounce concentrated syrup*

Add everything but the syrup to a Mason jar, seal it and let it macerate for two weeks in a dark place. Pick it up and shake it every few days, if you think of it, but other than that, just leave it alone. After two weeks, it should be significantly darker. Strain the liquid into another jar and set aside. Add the solid ingredients to a sauce pan or skillet and toast on the stovetop until they start to brown. Marry the liquid and toasted solids back in the jar and let them rest again, smelling or tasting for strength and shaking occasionally. After one or two more weeks, strain out the solids through a fine mesh strainer and some cheesecloth, add 1/2-1 ounce of concentrated demerara syrup (recipe below), depending on the taste and texture you want. (Just don’t make it too sweet — these are bitters, after all.) Bottle and dash on cocktails at will.

*Concentrated syrup: Raw sugar works best, as it develops not just a sweet flavor but a velvety texture that adds viscosity to bitters. In a saucepan, mix 2 cups of demerara or turbinado sugar with 1 cup of water over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, bottle and store in the refrigerator.