Mmmm...Pechauds...

Inspired by Ricky Gomez from NOLA in New Orleans who introduced Portland to his cocktail that featured 2 oz...yes 2oz of Peychaud's bitters, I was determined to find a platform for the historical bitters that hit my palate just right.

After pulling the top off the bottle and tasting it like a spirit, I noticed it has a nice digestif quality to it.  It reminded me of Aperol or Campari.  My first shot at a cocktail was a variation on my favorite drink...a Negroni.  Equal parts Gin, Campari, and Sweet Vermouth.  I substituted the Peychaud's for Campari and found the Gin and Sweet Vermouth a little too aggressive.  So, I substituted the Gin for Rye, and Sweet Vermouth for Dry vermouth.  I was on to Something here...I needed the Anise flavor to pop, and I needed a touch more sugar to balance the Bitters and Dry Vermouth.  My Third attempt became the Pey-Pal.

Peychaud's is a very light Anise drivin' bitters that was created in New Orleans.  It has a light citrus and floral aspect to it that isn't overly agressive.  Some bitters like Angostura and anything off the Fee's line can be really dominant in a cocktail, but I find Peychaud's to be light, and remarkably flexible. 

Recently I've seen Peychaud's used as a base ingredient in a Sour and in use with citrus and prosecco.  Experiment for yourself and let me know what you think.