Difford's Bokers Bitters By Bob's Bitters

Product of: United Kingdom

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Our interpretation of what the original 1800s Bogart's Bitters may have tasted like. Made with more botanicals than even Bob would normally conceive of using.

Boker's Bitters is a historic brand of bitters created by Johann Gottlieb Böker in 1828. These bitters are the only bitters in the first-ever bartenders' Guide (1862) as are specified in the first documented Dry Martini recipe (1888).

The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 impacted Boker's being marketed using "cure-all medical claims", but it was Prohibition that led to production of Boker's Bitters stopping in the 1920s.

We started production of Difford's Bokers Bitters in the summer of 2025, with the first batch released on 2 July 2026.

Review and Tasting

Sampled on 02/07/2026

Appearance:

Clear, deep amber.

Aroma:

Cardamom and cinnamon-led dark spices, plum and blackened raisiny fruit cake, chicory, liquorice, and sarsaparilla.

Taste:

Starts almost sweet, before quickly turning dry with rooty bitterness. Flavours also dramatically evolve from baking spices to Eccles cake-like fruitiness to maple and liquorice.

Aftertaste:

Like the palate, the incredibly long finish continually evolves and, like the palate, ends with lingering liquorice.

Overall:

I've only read how others describe the original Boker's Bitters, but if Johann Gottlieb Böker were still around to taste Difford's Bokers Bitters, I think he'd say they were a tasty rendition of his own. Thanks, Bob!