Bitters

Boker’s Bitters

Boker’s bitters are cardamom-led aromatic bitters. The original was launched in New York in 1828 and did not survive Prohibition, and Adam Elmegirab revived the name in 2009. Difford’s Guide lists his bottle at 30% ABV, the figure we count. Two dashes in Blackthorn No. 3, about 1.6ml, add 0.05 of a UK unit.

Quick Facts

ABV30% ABVDifford’s Guide lists Adam Elmegirab’s revival at 30% ABV.

Legal categorySpirit drink

OriginAberdeen, Scotland (original: New York)

Flavour Strengthvery bold

Our keeping timeAs the bottle says. The sources we read give no period.

Storage

Capped, in a cool place away from sunlight. The sources we read give no storage advice.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens. Neither Difford’s Guide nor the retailer listing we read names an allergen. Recipes change: check the bottle.

The ingredient

About Boker’s Bitters

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

CardamomBitterCitrus peel

Tasting Notes

Cardamom and gentian bitterness with a long finish, per Difford’s 2012 tasting note.

The original closed with Prohibition and the revival began in 2009

Difford’s Guide says Boker’s Bitters was launched in New York in 1828 by Johann Gottlieb Böker and produced until the 1920s. It says no one can be sure what the original tasted like, and that recipes and consensus suggest a pronounced cardamom character. Caputo’s listing says Adam Elmegirab created his version in 2009 in Aberdeen, by reverse engineering and recipes going back as far as 1853, and names cardamom, citrus peel, catechu and quassia bark.

Difford’s tasting note names cardamom and gentian

Difford’s records a tasting from 2012 of a copper-coloured bitters with a nose of eucalyptus-pine and cardamom, an intensely bitter palate with gentian and cardamom, and a long bitter finish. It is a reconstruction, as Difford’s makes clear, and not the 1828 bitters.

How Boker’s bitters is dosed in drinks on our site

One dash

Volume: About 0.8ml
Alcohol added at 30%: About 0.02 units
Where it appears: Martinez, in the 1887 recipe our page quotes

Two dashes

Volume: About 1.6ml
Alcohol added at 30%: About 0.05 units
Where it appears: Blackthorn No. 3; the 1871 Corpse Reviver recipe our page quotes

Four dashes

Volume: About 3.2ml
Alcohol added at 30%: About 0.10 units
Where it appears: Not used in our recipes

Dose	Volume	Alcohol added at 30%	Where it appears
One dash	About 0.8ml	About 0.02 units	Martinez, in the 1887 recipe our page quotes
Two dashes	About 1.6ml	About 0.05 units	Blackthorn No. 3; the 1871 Corpse Reviver recipe our page quotes
Four dashes	About 3.2ml	About 0.10 units	Not used in our recipes

It appears as a dash or two, in older recipes

The Blackthorn No. 3 takes two dashes with Irish whiskey, dry vermouth and absinthe, and Difford’s recipe 240 asks for Boker’s-style bitters. Our Martinez, Corpse Reviver No. 1 and Corpse Reviver No. 2 entries record older recipes that name Boker’s. Difford’s lists 44 cocktails with Boker’s-style bitters. The dash size is the 0.8ml our Angostura bitters entry assumes.

Using it

Using Boker’s Bitters

Usage

Two dashes, about 1.6ml, in the Blackthorn No. 3; one dash in older recipes such as the Martinez. Use a dasher bottle so the dash is consistent.

Pro Tip

If a recipe says Boker’s-style bitters, as Difford’s Blackthorn No. 3 does, taste before you substitute. The cardamom is the point.

Top Tips

Use a dasher top. Dash sizes vary, and the bitters are strong.
Treat it as a seasoning. Two dashes is the dose in the Blackthorn No. 3.
Read the bottle for botanicals and allergens. Seller lists differ.
Compare against Angostura if you are choosing between them: our Angostura entry describes clove and cinnamon where Difford’s describes cardamom here.

Possible Substitutions

Angostura Bitters: Another aromatic bitters: clove and cinnamon where Boker’s is described as cardamom-led, so the drink changes
Orange Bitters: Peel in place of cardamom; the IBA Martinez uses orange bitters

Production Method

Adam Elmegirab’s bottle, according to Caputo’s listing, uses cardamom, citrus peel, catechu and quassia bark. The full recipe is not published in the sources we read.

History & Context

Difford’s says Johann Gottlieb Böker launched Boker’s Bitters in New York in 1828 and that it was produced until the 1920s. Caputo’s says Adam Elmegirab created his version in 2009.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is Boker’s bitters?

A cardamom-led aromatic bitters. The original was launched in New York in 1828 and did not survive Prohibition. Adam Elmegirab revived it in 2009.

How strong is Boker’s bitters?

Difford’s Guide lists Elmegirab’s bottle at 30% ABV, the figure we count. Units are ABV times ml divided by 1000, so two dashes of about 1.6ml come to 0.05 of a unit. The Chief Medical Officers advise drinking no more than 14 units a week.

Who revived Boker’s bitters?

Adam Elmegirab, who created his version in 2009 in Aberdeen, according to Caputo’s listing, working from recipes going back as far as 1853.

What is in Boker’s bitters?

Caputo’s listing names cardamom, citrus peel, catechu and quassia bark. The full recipe is not published in the sources we read.

What does Boker’s bitters taste like?

Difford’s 2012 tasting note describes eucalyptus-pine and cardamom on the nose, an intensely bitter palate with gentian and cardamom, and a long bitter finish.

Does Boker’s bitters contain allergens?

Neither Difford’s Guide nor the retailer listing we read names an allergen. Recipes change, so check your bottle.

What can I use instead of Boker’s bitters?

Angostura bitters is the nearest aromatic bitters we have an entry for, though it is clove and cinnamon where Boker’s is described as cardamom-led. Orange bitters bring peel. Either changes the drink.

Which drinks use Boker’s bitters?

Our Blackthorn No. 3 takes two dashes. Our Martinez, Corpse Reviver No. 1 and Corpse Reviver No. 2 entries record older recipes that name it. Difford’s lists 44 cocktails with Boker’s-style bitters.

How long does it keep?

The sources we read give no period. Keep it capped and out of the sun, and follow the bottle.

Sources.

Correct as of 1 November 2026.

Difford’s Guide, “Dr. Adam Elmegirab’s Boker’s Bitters” (30% ABV; launched 1828 in New York by Johann Gottlieb Böker, produced until the 1920s; cardamom character; 2012 tasting note; 44 cocktails with Boker’s-style bitters).
Caputo’s, “Dr. Adam Elmegirab’s Boker’s Bitters 100ml” (created by Adam Elmegirab in 2009 in Aberdeen; recipes back to 1853; cardamom, citrus peel, catechu, quassia bark).
Difford’s Guide, “Blackthorn No. 3” (recipe 240: two dashes of Boker’s-style bitters).
NHS, “Calculating alcohol units” (units = ABV x ml / 1000; the 14-units-a-week guidance).

From the Guides

How to make cocktails at home: five techniques, the tools and the ratios

Make something

Made with Boker’s Bitters

Featured In These Cocktails

Blackthorn No. 3 Martinez Corpse Reviver No. 1 Corpse Reviver No. 2

Often Used With

Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 1 November 2026

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