Urban Moonshine is reviving a healthy tradition by launching an organic, handcrafted contemporary version of an old world classic to stimulate digestion and mix with cocktails. Whether enjoyed as an apertif, digestif, cocktail mixer or as a remedy to settle an upset stomach or calm a hangover, bitters are back!

In many cultures, especially in Europe where the appreciation of fine food is abundant, having a bitter present with each meal is considered essential to good health.  The tradition of sharing a bitter aperitif or digestif with meals demonstrates this.  Partaking in such a custom was believed not only to prime digestion and counter the congesting effects of rich foods, but also to spark the senses and enter the ritual of eating with mindfulness.  Unfortunately, here in North America, most people overwhelm their palate with the heavy tastes of sweet and salty and are unaware of the numerous health benefits offered by bitter herbs and foods. 

Handcrafted Bitters are the Latest Cocktail Innovation for Contemporary Mixology

In addition to their role in sparking the digestive process and enhancing appreciation for food, bitters have also been a mainstay of the beverage world.  After bartenders discovered that bitters softened the harsh liquors of the day, the cocktail was born.  Until the late 1880s, any drink called a cocktail contained bitters, including classics such as the Martini, the Manhattan and the Old-Fashioned.  Urban Moonshine (www.urbanmoonshine.com) offers three robust flavors of bitters to add a new twist to favorite cocktails: Original, Citrus and Maple.  A delicious cocktail recipe by Urban Moonshine is included below.

Bitters for Better Digestion - The Root of Good Health is a Strong Digestive System!

Bitters are traditionally used to build overall health and vitality, strengthen the digestive system, improve the body’s ability to assimilate nutrients, ease symptoms of indigestion and acid reflux, and to help the body’s natural elimination system work more effectively.  “Our health depends on how well our digestive system functions and how easily it can assimilate the nutrients in our food,” says Jovial King, founder of Urban Moonshine.  “When digestion is insufficient, our ability to break down food is impaired – leading to poor nutrient absorption and numerous symptoms,” adds King.  “By restoring normal function to our digestive system, bitters can help ameliorate these symptoms and improve our health.”

Modern science has been confirming what ancient people believed for many centuries about the medicinal use of bitters.  “Tasting a bitter substance stimulates the secretion of digestive juices from the pancreas, stomach and liver,” says King. Bitters have been found to: support liver function and detoxification; tone and repair the digestive tract; regulate the secretion of hormones involved in blood sugar balance; and reduce cholesterol by increasing its elimination from the body.  Research has also confirmed the impact of bitters on the liver.  Because the toxicity of our environment and modern lifestyles can often overwhelm the liver's detoxification pathways, symptoms such as skin eruptions, hormonal imbalances, fatigue and malaise can crop up.  Bitter herbs are an important tool in reducing such symptoms.  Also, by increasing the production and secretion of bile (a byproduct of cholesterol) from the liver, bitters can help support healthy cholesterol levels.

About Urban Moonshine

Urban Moonshine is a small family business with a mission to rekindle the relationship between herbal medicine and the modern world.  Located in beautiful Burlington, Vermont, the company hopes to inspire people to bring herbal medicine "out of the cupboard and onto the counter" in everyday life.  Urban Moonshine uses only organically grown or ethically wildcrafted herbs.  They also make handcrafted organic Tonics including: Immunity; Immune Zoom, Longevity; and Chocolate Love.  Jovial King, the founder and formulator of Urban Moonshine, has studied herbal medicine for many years with an array of renowned teachers. 

The Urban Moonshine Cocktail

1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
3 oz Reeds Ginger Brew

3 oz Organic Vodka
5 dashes Urban Moonshine Citrus Bitters
Muddled Fresh Ginger to taste