The modern US food system is crushing craftsmanship, sustainability, biodiversity and economic justice.
For years, I have known Caputo’s mission in a broad, eternal sense: “Fight to preserve the food traditions of our ancestors.” However, with the untimely death of my best friend, mentor, and hero, Tony Caputo (aka my dad), it sunk in that our time on Earth is so very limited. I realized we need a way to ensure we have tangible victories while we pursue what is sure to be an eternal fight – enter the Caputo’s Preservation Program (CPP).
The Caputo’s Wild Tranquilidad bar started almost a decade ago when Caputo’s donated money on behalf of an agronomist who had discovered something very special. The tests we sponsored provided a USDA Genetic Profile proving Tranquilidad’s samples were a previously undiscovered type of cacao, “Beniano.”
Even before the tests had confirmed it, Tranquilidad’s cacao had become famous being referred to as Cru Sauvage, Cacao Sylvestre, Boliviano, to name a few. The agronomist, Volker Lehmann, bought land in the area and dedicated his life to building a business that would preserve this cacao. Despite the fame and insanely delicious, one of a kind cacao, Tranquilidad has faced bankruptcy, competitors counterfeiting his cacao, fires, drought, floods and more. Long story short, even in the world of fancy chocolate not enough money flows back to the farmer.
Caputo’s has arranged for Ritual to buy Tranquilidad’s genetically pure Beniano and pay top dollar directly to Tranquilidad with no intermediaries. Ritual uses these jewels of the jungle to make chocolate bars to Caputo’s specifications. After countless tests and tweaks to almost every step in the chocolate making process, Ritual Chocolate proves their mastery with one of the best tasting dark chocolate bars of all time. Caputo’s then gives a full dollar to Tranquilidad for every 60g chocolate bar sold. This represents an additional $7.60 per pound of chocolate sold and is many multiples more than a farmer would receive when selling cacao.
Caputo’s believes that Capitalism can actually be a wonderful system for positive change when all stakeholders in the supply chain share equally in the rewards. We know our community of food lovers will vote with their purchases and join us in blazing a trail to a food system that preserves biodiversity and sustainable agriculture.
Listen to Volker take James Beard award winning author and journalist Rowan Jacobsen into the rainforest, and learn about our mission around wild cacao (including Caputo’s Wild Juruá bar by Luisa Abram) in the iHeart Radio podcast OBSESSIONS: Wild Chocolate!
“Ask Matt Caputo” is an ongoing feature where Matt answers commonly asked questions from the market. This week, he discusses best practices for storing fresh truffles.
Question: What’s the best way to store fresh truffles? I’ve heard that you can clean and wrap each truffle individually in a fresh sheet of paper towel. I’ve also been told you can store them in rice. What would you suggest?
Answer: Do not store in rice. It will speed spoilage and suck a lot of flavor out of the truffle.
The fresh paper towel method is great. The goal is finding a balance between truffles that are too dry or too wet, so nest your truffles in dry paper towels and store them in a clean, airtight container. I am careful not to use too much paper towel as it will also suck up some aroma. Change paper towels only as often as necessary, basically when the paper towel becomes damp enough to risk getting the truffles wet.
Another thing to keep in mind is that mold showing up does not mean you need to toss them out. It means they are still alive, and it can easily be brushed off with a soft, dry kitchen brush (or even a toothbrush).
Truffles are only “bad” when they become wet, squishy or even slimy which will usually be associated with a smell akin to a food service dumpster in the summer. Truffles like that should be removed from the other truffles and be discarded before the rot spreads. On the other hand, truffles can get too dry and lose most or even all of their aroma. When dry, they can still be used but simply won’t be as potent.
– Matt Caputo
Disclaimer: While Matt Caputo is a Certified Cheese Professional and specialty food fanatic, he is not a medical professional, doctor, or certified nutritionist. Please consult with your doctor or other qualified health care professional before making any healthcare decisions, diagnostics or treatment decisions based on Matt’s answers.
In our tinned seafoodclasses, something that really excites our students is the common types of tuna and how to distinguish them.
As I tried to educate myself on the many types of tuna that are represented in the nice brands of conservas from Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, etc, it was a lot harder than I thought. Unfortunately, there is more conflicting and incorrect information out there than you can shake a stick at! After months of comparing notes with industry experts, we were able to create an accurate way of conveying the information visually. We even made it a poster!
For those who are visual learners, check out the poster or Tuna Types page on our website. For those who prefer to simply read words, below are all the types of tuna commonly found in tins, some stats, and other tidbits on everything from history to quality differences. We hope you find them as interesting in this format as our students do in our fishy classes!
Bonito (Not Tuna) = Atlantic Bonito Sarda sarda
Max Length: 3 ft
Max Weight: 18.25 lb
Ventresca (Not a fish)
Ventresca is a cut from the belly of the tuna. Think Toro vs. Maguro sushi. Toro is fattier and delish! Ventresca is the Toro.
REASONS FOR CONFUSION
TUNA vs BONITO
HISTORY Bonito (Sarda sarda) is a smaller fish found in the Mediterranean. When a similar looking but much larger fish Thunnus alalunga was discovered in more northern waters, it was named Bonito del Norte, or Bonito “of the North”.
Bonito del Norte weighs in at a whopping 88 lbs whereas Bonito’s maximum weight is 18.25 lbs.
CONFUSION? While “Bonito del Norte” and “Bonito” are often used interchangeably, they are entirely distinct species. Bonito is more closely related to mackerel than tuna
QUALITY In the wine world, where the grape is grown is indicative of quality. Similarly, the best tuna is caught in the Cantabrian Sea. Only Albacore Thunnus alalung caught in these waters should be called “Bonito del Norte.”
PRESERVING INTEGRITY Because the term “Bonito del Norte” comes with notoriety and inherent quality, inaccurate claims to it are often made…
…even when the fish is not from the Cantabrian Sea.
…even when it is an entirely wrong species! Bonito and Skipjack often referred to even by fisherman as Bonito del Norte.
Some of this confusion is inadvertent and some is not. Caputo’s asks all our suppliers the hard questions so you don’t have to
You come to Caputo’s because you have come to expect and trust that we are proud geeks about all things food. When you buy products on our site or from our shelves, you understand that you’re supporting artisans that have been put through thorough vetting before being stocked here. We pride ourselves in this ethos and aim to uphold it and improve upon it as we grow.
The Caputo family plans their vacations as part of this ongoing effort to bring you the most thoughtfully curated selection of chocolates, cheeses, conservas (sardines!), and more. Recently, Matt, Yelena, Gia, and Frankie traveled to Portugal for some time away from the office. While there, they toured the Jose Gourmet factory and learned of some unique new projects coming down the conserva line. What they learned was both exciting and concerning. Read it in Matt’s words below:
Matt's Words on Portugal
“Yelena and I just got back from Portugal. It was both deeply inspiring and alarming.
Bad news first. I was surprised to learn that even in countries like Spain and Portugal where I assumed that traditional/artisan methods of production (especially when it comes to conservas) are more highly valued than they are in the US, the canning industry is going through significant consolidation.
To help me learn more, my friend Vasco put together [this] graphic showing every single Portuguese cannery, which brands they produce, and which fishing ports they are based out of.
As I was becoming a conservas geek I learned to revere A Poveira as THE best cannery for sardines and La Gondola for making the absolute best seafood pate. Both were recently bought by a huge Spanish company and they are already in the process of making these venerable canneries “more efficient” in very sad ways.
Others I talked to explained how despite the current perceived renaissance in conservas that it is mostly a proliferation of brands and that the list of canneries is going to continue to get smaller.
Despite all the pressures of the industrial food system snuffing out everything they can, I left feeling very inspired to see some incredibly serious people creating a spark that has the potential to keep the conservas flame burning bright.
While they started as just a brand buying from other canneries, Jose Gourmet has opened what is Portugal‘s newest and smallest cannery. 100 Misterios is the name. They have hired all the most talented hands that the giant factories have recently put out of a job. They go to the auctions daily and only buy the best. Most importantly, their product tastes the way a romantic like me would expect the smallest cannery in Portugal to taste. The best.
With how slick their packaging and marketing is I expected the owners of Jose Gourmet to be rich investors or a VC group. I was wrong. It was started by a man who is not wealthy and still works his day job as a full-time commercial airline pilot and his friend who is an artist (hence the beautiful packaging). If I understood his story well, Adriano, the pilot, sold his old condominium to start 100 Misterios.
Both men divide their time between Porto and Lisbon and are insanely excited about conservas. Some of the projects they are working on are unprecedented. Obviously, as their master importer I am biased, but I think they are important to the industry and where it will go.”
– Matt Caputo
When you shop at Caputo’s, you help us determine what is important to the industry and where it will go. You help us support small producers who are uplifting their communities, challenging monopolies, and enriching the earth. 100 Misterios is a perfect example of this ethos. They have targeted a loss in their community, locked on, and figured out how to revive it by any means necessary (condominiums be damned). By far the smallest cannery in Portugal, most of their production capacity is allocated to preserving traditional techniques you have come to know and love in Jose Gourmet and Ati Manel. We admire them for this artisanal work, but that’s not to say they don’t have more plans in store. Want to know more? Stay tuned to find out…
The modern US food system is crushing craftsmanship, sustainability, biodiversity and economic justice.
For years, I have known Caputo’s mission in a broad, eternal sense: “Fight to preserve the food traditions of our ancestors.” However, with the untimely death of my best friend, mentor, and hero, Tony Caputo (aka my dad), it sunk in that our time on Earth is so very limited. I realized we need a way to ensure we have tangible victories while we pursue what is sure to be an eternal fight – enter the Caputo’s Preservation Program (CPP).
Although I hope that Caputo’s can be a catalyst for changing the entire US food system, I also realize I may be tilting at windmills. If we cannot change the entire food system, I know we can at least ensure the success of a select few farmers and artisans. When short term profits are disregarded, we can make sure precious gems like Mesa Farm have absolutely all the support they need. We can make sure that when they falter, they can continue. Randy Ramsley, the owner of Mesa Farm, is one of the last to uphold farming traditions as they were done hundreds of years ago. He goes deep into regenerative agriculture and far beyond sustainability. Visiting his farm is a spiritual experience. Years ago we agreed to create logos and a marketing plan for Randy, but we also guaranteed we would buy 100% of his excess cheese supply. We have held to our commitment through thick and thin and Randy is always the first to say Mesa Farm would have folded at several different junctures if it were not for the support of the Caputo’s community of food lovers and food professionals.
Mesa Farm is a shining example of how agriculture should be conducted; however, wholesome cheese and land stewardship in Utah is not our only area of concern. As chocolate fanatics, it has been painful to watch the global food system whittle away at the biodiversity of cacao that indigenous civilizations of Central and South America experienced.
This pain became particularly unbearable during the beginning of the pandemic when Luisa Abram’s father Andre told us our favorite bar, Juruá 70%, would need to be permanently discontinued. This bar was made with a unique genetic strain of cacao that only grows along the banks of the Jurua River in Brazil’s Upper Amazon. He explained the mounting challenges and financial burden of accessing this cacao (in the world’s most remote jungle) and bringing it to market made it impossible to continue.
As he explained the challenges, I understood that they were complicated, continuous and growing. I also realized that any hope of making this wild crop economically viable may take a decade of investment. I knew their company was facing pandemic induced financial challenges and could not shoulder the burden.
This is when I knew that despite our own pandemic emergencies, Caputo’s could solve this.
If we throw out any expectation of profit on this chocolate bar in the near future, we could prepay for the next harvest. Luisa and Caputo’s together could make sure the small community in the Jurua had the money and guidance to set up their own fermentary and continue to return to Jurua to harvest this incredible cacao, year after year. With Caputo’s guaranteed support, Luisa can purchase all of the Jurua cacao the foragers can procure.
It cost us a lot, but the nice thing about not having investors to please and owning your own family business is that you get to decide what to invest in. It may not make a worthy investment return in my lifetime, but that is not what is important. What is important is that Caputo’s and Luisa Abram have created a bar of chocolate that will ensure this crown jewel of the Amazon is protected for future generations.
When you taste a Caputo’s Wild Jurua bar you experience the gustatory exhilaration of some of the world’s most rare cacao. Then, when you see the Caputo’s shield emblem on the walls of our store or on the pages of our website, you will know what it stands for, and that you have joined us in our fight. What a beautiful way to fight: spreading camaraderie and love for intrinsically good food.
“Ask Matt Caputo” is an ongoing feature where Matt answers commonly asked questions from the market. This week, he gives us a glimpse into the creation of a cheese board from a restaurant perspective.
Q: Matt, I just got home with lots of new, delicious cheeses. How do I store them properly and what’s the best way to wrap them?
A: Unfortunately, there is not one right way to store cheese. Depending on the style of cheese the micro flora responsible for it’s aging react differently to storage techniques. For example, most American produced cheddar is made to be aged (anaerobically) from start to finish in vacuum sealed bags. When storing this type of cheese at home it would react much better to being tightly wrapped in plastic than say an English style cheddar that was made to be aged in an (aerobic) open air environment. Absent of tight plastic wrapping the American example may get moldy more quickly than the English style. The right way to store cheese depends on it’s type.
Storing in tightly wrapped plastic can be bad for a number of reasons. Most notably all cheeses have cultures, molds, and/or yeasts that are breaking down fats and protiens in the milk solids. There are many ways in which plastic wrap can be bad from cheese. Many. Here are just a few:
Suffocation: Certain strains of these micro flora need to breath air, some don’t. Those that need a lot of air, say like Penicillium camemberti on cheeses like Brie breaks down protein near the surface of the cheese. Like all living organisms P. camemberti produce waste, in this case ammonia gas. If wrapped tightly in plastic this ammonia can become trapped in the cheese and taste very bad.
Trapped Moisture: Certain cultures in cheese thrive in a very humid environment and others don’t. Wrapping tightly in plastic can allow moisture to pool. This can create an environment that is not good for the cultures a particular cheese maker intended to create the flavors and textures in their cheese, and even worse, could allow for unintended cultures to take over and create unintended flavors. Many of which may be bad.
Imparting a plastic taste: Most plastic film has a distinctive smell. Give it a whiff. When wrapped in film many cheeses can start to take on this flavor/aroma on the surfaces where the film is touching. The longer it is in the wrap, the more the aroma of the film may penetrate, giving the cheese on off flavor.
If you’ve brought a cheese home that’s already in a tightly wrapped wrapper, in general, it’s ok for a small while. If it was packaged in vacuum sealed plastic at the factory, it is okay to keep it like that. I would not advise opening these packages simply to repackage them at home. Just open when you need it and then store as detailed below. Cheese packaged at full service specialty cheese shop like Caputo’s where they cut and wrap to order, it is certainly best left in the packaging they provide. These shops are generally full of experts who are able to tailor packaging to the needs of the specific cheese. The most common time you may want to consider immediately repackaging your cheese in a different way than you bought it is when the cheese is pre-cut, not vacuum packaged, but is wrapped in film. This is the most common way you see cheese offered at the grocery store cheese counter and it would likely do better if repackaged quickly (as detailed below) when you get it home.
There is no singularly correct way to store cheese, because it really depends on the type of cheese, but it is totally unrealistic to expect the average consumer to understand what each cheese needs. Therefore, here are 3 simple rules of thumb can be employed that will benefit most cheese:
VACUUM SEALED: If you bought a cheese in a vacuum sealed package keep it that way until you need it. Any leftovers of this type of cheese may be more prone to mold once exposed to air. Therefore, try to use as quickly as possible and return any unused potion into packaging that limits air exposure. If you have a home vacuum sealer, this is a good way to keep it from getting moldly. It can also be wrapped tightly in plastic film, but wrapping first in a sheet of cheese appropriate paper can help avoid trapped moisture. Parchment, waxed, are all okay, but cheese shops do often offer a better option that allows for the correct moisture exchange/regulation.
NOT VACUUM SEALED FROM FULL SERVICE CUT & WRAP COUNTER: If a cheese monger at a cut to order shop wrapped it for you, leave it like that until you need it. They likely used the correct type of paper and other materials to ensure optimal storing conditions for the particular cheese. When you are rewrapping any unused portion try to duplicate what they did. It is okay to use the same materials they provided again so long as you kept them clean and any residue was not outside for refrigeration for longer than 30 minutes. At home, I recommend cutting what you need rewrapping any unused potion and returning to refrigeration right away. This will extend the life of your cheese and increase food safety.
NOT VACUUM SEALED, PLASTIC FILM TOUCHING CHEESE: This is how cheese is commonly offered at the grocery store. Little pre-cut wedges where the cheese is cut in store, but then wrapped for display and sale in plastic film. For the reasons described above, the film is not good for the cheese. While there is no one size fits all perfect solution, almost all cheese purchased in this way would benefit from immediate rewrapping at home. Simply take the cheese out of the plastic film, wrap in cheese appropriate paper rewrap in plastic film. Loosely, if it’s a bloomy rind (think white puffy mold like on Brie). With the right cheese paper barrier between cheese and film, most other types will be fine if wrapped tightly in the film.
The only other piece of advice I would give is that even under the best care, once cut from a wheel the cheese is only going to deteriorate in quality over time. Therefore, buy what you can use in 1 to 2 weeks if a soft cheese or 3 to 4 weeks for a hard cheese. Of course, if you can get to the cheese shop each week, buy what you need for that week as it will be best right after being cut off the wheel. Also, when you purchase at a cut to order shop like Caputo’s, you have greater access to asking questions of a knowledgeable monger. Mark my words, they love answering your questions!
Disclaimer: While Matt Caputo is a Certified Cheese Professional and specialty food fanatic, he is not a medical professional, doctor, or certified nutritionist. Please consult with your doctor or other qualified health care professional before making any healthcare decisions, diagnostics or treatment decisions based on Matt’s answers.
Below, you’ll find a short video about heirloom cacao in Belize. This is what Caputo’s Chocolate festival goes to support. People like those at Belize Foundation for Research & Environmental Education (BFREE) are trying to create a buffer zone for their nature preserve through sustainable farming of heirloom cacao. In this case one of only two Heirloom Cacao Perservation (HCP) verified strains of genetically pure criollo. Caputo’s was the bursary sponsor for this strain!
Please share with your chocophile friends and new enthusiasts and please note we are working hard to further extend the Caputo shield of preservation for BFREE and their cacao.
“Ask Matt Caputo” is an ongoing feature where Matt answers commonly asked questions from the market. This week, he reviews the history of one of our favorite chocolate confections and flavor combinations of chocolate and hazelnut – gianduja.
Q:
The gianduja and cremino confections from Guido Gobino are DELICIOUS. Your Evolution of Cacao class says this item is a product of war?! How did these little treasures come to be?
A:
It’s true – they are a product of war! When Napoleon blockaded the Atlantic, Italy was one of the world’s leading producers of dark chocolate. However, Napoleon’s blockade cut off the supply of cacao and began an era of French domination that lasted over 170 years. Amedei, Domori (and a handful of others) and the American Craft Chocolate movement only broke the French strangle hold in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
But I digress. The key is all of these Italian chocolate makers basically went belly up and the country’s national chocolate-making dominance ended. Many of the Italian chocolate companies that survived were those in Torino. A handful found that by mixing what little cacao they had left with ample amounts of roasted hazelnuts and milk solids, they could make their supply go further. At the time, they used local hazelnuts that were so plentiful, they littered the ground. They had no idea those hazelnuts would one day be prized all over the world for being the very best, fetching up to $40 lb. You know them as the Nocciola Tonda Gentile della Langhe, bearing the IGP protection from the EU.
Thus, Gianduja was born out of dire need and desperation. To this day, it is still BY FAR the most popular chocolate confection in all of Italy. It’s sad people hardly know it here. To settle on Gobino, we blind taste-tested all the top reputable brands and found Gobino to be the best.
Disclaimer: While Matt Caputo is a Certified Cheese Professional and specialty food fanatic, he is not a medical professional, doctor, or certified nutritionist. Please consult with your doctor or other qualified health care professional before making any healthcare decisions, diagnostics or treatment decisions based on Matt’s answers.
“Ask Matt Caputo” is an ongoing feature where Matt answers commonly asked questions from the market. This week, he reviews selections for a pairing we can’t necessarily get behind – red wine and dark chocolate – but don’t want to leave you hanging (without chocolate, that is).
Q:
I know wine doesn’t generally work as a good pairing with chocolate but do you have any recommendations for California wines and chocolate from makers in the USA?
A:
Unless I already have a dessert wine open, I ALWAYS reach for something other than wine to pair with chocolate. The reason is that it is just almost always worse together than apart. At least when it comes to red and dark the type of dark chocolate that I like. Ya know, the type that tastes like cacao rather than a marshmallow. However, I have a friend who recently provided a list there is some California stuff on there, but my advice remains “reach for beer, whiskey, rum or Cognac and you will be much happier!”
That said, we know some will still reach for a bar of chocolate after opening a bottle of wine. If that’s you, here is the a list of curated pairings from our friend Roxanne Browning of Exotic Chocolate Tasting:
Disclaimer: While Matt Caputo is a Certified Cheese Professional and specialty food fanatic, he is not a medical professional, doctor, or certified nutritionist. Please consult with your doctor or other qualified health care professional before making any healthcare decisions, diagnostics or treatment decisions based on Matt’s answers.
“Ask Matt Caputo” is an ongoing feature where Matt answers commonly asked questions from the market. This week, he discusses hot weather alternatives to chocolate when you’ve got a hankering for a sweet indulgence.
Q: I have a bonafide sweet tooth and usually turn to chocolate to satisfy my cravings, but it’s just too hot for chocolate this summer! What can you suggest that isn’t chocolate but will still keep that sweet tooth appeased???
A: NO CHOCOLATE?! That’s ok, I’m feeling pretty weathered by the heat these days too. Here are my top picks :
Antonio Mattei Cantuccini: One bite of these tiny biscotti demonstrate why Cantuccini are such a big deal in Italy. Dip in Vin Santo like the Italians do, or dip into your iced coffee to stay cool.
Primo Pan Foglie di Mais: These corn cookies (not gluten free) exhibit how great simplicity can be. So Italian and another great summer dipper!
Disclaimer: While Matt Caputo is a Certified Cheese Professional and specialty food fanatic, he is not a medical professional, doctor, or certified nutritionist. Please consult with your doctor or other qualified health care professional before making any healthcare decisions, diagnostics or treatment decisions based on Matt’s answers.
Well, I’m half Greek. My grandmother (yiayia) arrived in SLC in 1948 and never learned to speak English. Out of necessity, she planted a diverse urban farm, often with seeds and starts she brought from Greece. To this day, it is the flavors and aromas of her recipes that inform which products adorn Caputo’s shelves. Recently, our whole Caputo clan embarked on a trip to various parts of Greece, including our ancestral home on the island of Crete. This trip and yiayia’s memory are the inspiration for the creation of our Greek Catalog, highlighting foods and traditions of this ancient and beautiful culture.
Take a look at our inspiring travel for yourself:
Greece 2018 family vaca starts now! Wish we could bottle their excitement.
My big fat Greek wedding, Athenian style.
First beach day in Crete! Obsessed with Elafonisi’s crystal waters.
Stomping around Old Town Chania. Χανιά – Παλιό Λιμάνι
Dining at Dounias in the mountains high above Chania, Crete where the Slow Food movement is nothing new to the region but instead a continuation of the traditional Greek lifestyle and cuisine.
Nestled in the mountains an hour outside of Chania, this taverna went so far and beyond rustic cuisine. The owners’ (husband and wife duo) little 2 yo boy sat at our table and ate snails from our plates. Kitchen tour, wood fire cooking only, cheese making before our eyes. And that bread. Highlight of the trip
Chania Old Town Port
Throwing it back to Athens. Acropolis | Lycabettus Hill | Plaka
Visited Yiayia’s mother’s birthplace in the village of Atsipopoulo, just outside of Rethymno. Met with neighbors who knew Polymnia and welcomed us with gifts and sweets. ❤️
Rockin’ Rethymno. Réthymno, Rethimni, Greece
For the last leg of our trip, we picked a place we’ve never been, mostly because of the beach pics. Island in the Ionian, famous for the Shipwreck Navagio beach and blue caves. Evening views from top were way more impressive than daytime with the crowds.
We stayed in a remote area up north (apparently, the south is a bit of a party town). Loved the water, the countryside and the people here. They don’t get American tourists often and were so kind.
You already know you must have bitters to make a proper drink. Even mid-level mixology is impossible without them. However, where most home bartenders go wrong is by choosing one bitters—generally Angostura—and thinking that one size fits all. You wouldn’t make a Manhattan with vodka, so why would you try to make a Sazerac with Angostura?
Making many different cocktails with only one type of bitters is a bit like having a talented band with a bass player who can’t change tempo. Certain cocktails call for specific bitters for a reason.
My first two choices for the three must-have bitters are Angostura and Peychaud’s. Maybe it’s crazy to have two of my three top bitters be gentian-root based aromatic bitters. However, with the sheer number of pre-Prohibition-era cocktails that call for Angostura, that one is a given. Angostura is a classic and hard to replace in many classics, but where it is musky and masculine, Peychaud’s is spiced and feminine. Many of my favorites (Seelbach, Sazerac, Vieux Carre, Old Hickory Cocktail) call for Peychaud’s, so this is a must. While Peychaud’s can often times be substituted for Angostura, it would offensive to substitute Angostura for most cocktails calling specifically for Peychaud’s.
Angostura is the most commonly called for bitters, but not far behind are orange bitters. So many of the classic cocktails—such as a Bijou, Opera, Trilby, and Bronx—require orange bitters, so you simply must have one for a properly stocked bar. I actually have several, but one would suffice. There are many fantastic options out there so, how to pick? I always like to support local, but I love to support local when quality is on par with the best from around the world. My pick for orange bitters is none other than Beehive Spiced Orange Bitters, made here in Utah. Beehive’s Spiced Orange Bitters is, of course, heavy on the spice such as cinnamon, bourbon vanilla, and clove. And when the weather starts to cool down again in a few months, this flavor profile in my cocktails will really hit the spot.