Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters 5oz

Fee Brothers has operated out of Rochester, New York since 1864, making it one of the longest-running bitters producers still active in the United States. Now run across five generations of the Fee family, the company built its reputation on bar syrups and mixers before expanding into the wide range of specialty bitters it is known for today, with production still split between family members handling formulation and business operations.

Black Walnut Bitters was introduced at Tales of the Cocktail in 2011 and stands apart from most bitters on the market in that it uses a glycerin base rather than high-proof alcohol, a technique the company adopted decades earlier and has continued with since. The formula centers on natural black walnut flavoring blended with other natural and artificial extracts, along with a touch of red vermouth for added depth, and remains one of the only commercially available black walnut bitters produced in the country.

The bitters pour an opaque, deep chocolate brown and open with toasted walnut and bark-like cola on the nose, backed by faint chocolate and spice. On the palate, candied walnut gives way to molasses, caramel, and a gentle root beer or sassafras quality, with only a mild bitterness on the finish. The overall effect is warm and dessert-like rather than sharply astringent, closer in style to an amaro than a classic aromatic bitters.