Of all the artisanal bitters we’ve sampled over the years, Brooklyn-based Cecil and Merl‘s totally blew us away. They capture the clear vibrant flavors of fruits, vegetables and herbs with a subtle bitter afterfinish that goes well with all manner of cocktail, culinary and wellness applications. For us, they’ve proven a perfect non-alcoholic cocktail…so much so that we carry a small bottle of Cucumber Bitters in our bag to splash into sparkling water wherever we are.

Cecil and Merl

Cecil and Merl Bitters come in five flavors. Apricot, Cucumber, Cherry, Turmeric and Lemon Ginger. You can buy them singly or as sampler packs of two or four flavors, which we bought initially to get our bearings and so we could offer guests a selection.

Their instagram shows the wide range of uses, like this Berry crostata, honey thyme ice cream and a dash of Cherry Bitters. (JUST Cherry Bitters on ice cream is pretty swell.)

Lemonade is lovely with a splash of Cucumber Bitters…

Apricot Bitters transform Prosecco, Champagne and Cavas into a fragrant cocktail…

We’re intrigued by this combo of Sun Potion Reishi tea and Cherry Bitters.

Given their sublime flavors and endless uses, Cecil and Merl’s bitters are a perfect house gift…

Their order department ships really fast. We usually receive our order the following day. If you order now, you might just get them for the weekend…