When it comes to booze, it’s fun to be bitter: an Aperol spritz has been the drink of summer for about five years, vermouth and soda was apparentlythe "hot girl" drink of 2023, and amaro is having "a major moment." Bitter botanical beverages are everywhere, but that doesn’t mean we understand what on earth they are. Could you explain the difference between vermouth and amaro, or whether either is an aperitif or a digestif? Where do Aperol, Campari, and Chartreuse fit in, and what’s the difference between drinks called bitters and the bitters your bartender dashes into a Manhattan? This episode, Gastropod is on the case of the confusing bitter beverages, starting with their origins in alchemy. (That pre-dinner spritz is pretty magical!) Listen in now to find out why Napoleon chugged cologne, how a shopkeeper’s assistant created the preferred drink of kings and influencers, and how you should enjoy these trendy new botanical beverages.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Meet the Most Famous American You’ve Never Heard Of: His Legacy is Excellent French Fries and Monsanto
All You Can Eat: The True Story Behind America's Most Popular Seafood
The World Is Your Oyster: How Our Favorite Shellfish Could Save Coastlines Worldwide
Eat This, Not That: The Surprising Science of Personalized Nutrition (encore)
Bam! How Did Cajun Flavor Take Over the World?
Anything's Pastable (Guest Episode)
Can You Patent a Pizza?
Super Fry: The Fight for the Golden Frite (encore)
Dining at the (Other) Top of the World: Hunger, Fruitcake, and the Race to Reach the South Pole
Dining at the Top of the World: Arctic Adaptation, Abundance, and...Ice Cream
Cork Dork: Inside the Weird World of Wine Appreciation (encore)
It's Tea Time: Pirates, Polyphenols, and a Proper Cuppa (encore)
Rice, Rice Baby
Ask Gastropod: White Chocolate, Jimmies, Chile vs. Mustard Burns, and Asparagus Pee
Pumpkin Spice Hero: The Thrilling But Tragic True Story of Nutmeg
Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit
Raised and Glazed: Don’t Doubt the Doughnut
We'd Like to Teach The World to Slurp: The Weird and Wonderful Story of Ramen's Rise to Glory
First Foods: Learning to Eat (encore)
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Stuff You Should Know
On Being with Krista Tippett
TED Radio Hour
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Art of War
Planet Money
The Dinner Party Download