The Bitters Boys
Miki Silver and Keith Appleby of Liberation Bitters in New Haven (photos taken before the Covid-19 pandemic). Photos by Amanda Kenny
Bitters is like the seasoning to a cocktail. For an ingredient that is such a small component in the overall balance of a beverage, the impact on the flavor can be substantial. Liberation Bitters, a small batch bitter company based in New Haven, is the first locally made brand to join the ranks in a large and increasingly obscure bitters market. They stand out by creating unique flavors working directly with leading bartenders in Connecticut.
The two owners, Keith Appleby and Miki Silver have been friends for years and share a mutual enthusiasm for food and cocktails. From that shared enthusiasm the partnership began. The two would spend a lot of time traveling together to different cities and countries to absorb the drink culture. That passion transformed into a desire to contribute to the cocktail world in some way and
Silver and Appleby began throwing cocktail parties for friends and family which turned into research and development events for the blossoming brand. Around 2014, they created their first batch of bitters to give as takeaway gifts for their guests. “We look back at that recipe now and we shudder to think what we gave people,’ said Silver. From those early R&D gatherings, Liberation Bitters was born.
The line currently consists of seven flavors ranging from the light and woody Angelic Bitters to the Mandarin flavor which is a take on the classic orange bitters then to the most recent addition they named Forest Floor, which has a woody, herbaceous, rosemary essence. One is a Baked Apple bitters that is exclusively made for Ordinary in New Haven. It has a delicious and warm flavor perfect for Fall and Winter cocktails, and worth a trip to Ordinary to try.
The two men are always working on thoughtfully expanding the collection, finding inspiration right within the city. “New Haven has a lot of creativity and culture. It is kind of the epicenter for cocktails in the state,” said Appleby. So, it remains the life source of their small company and one of the qualities that makes them different from other brands.
Liberation Bitters is available in several bars in the New Haven and Hartford area but hope to soon be more widely available to purchase. To hear more about what they are working on and to see which bars you can try their products in you can visit their Instagram and keep following Sip It CT for more.
Website: https://liberationbitters.com/ Instagram: @liberationbitters https://www.instagram.com/liberationbitters/
