That is so cool!
Sorry to hijack this thread, but this is a topic that interests me greatly.
I've been studying and sampling mid-19th century alcoholic beverages for the last couple of years and 'bitters' plays an important role.
In American colonial times, bitters was typically a concoction made of herbs and essential oils put together by the local apothecary (pharmacist). Whatever your problem, the apothecary could mix up something to make you feel better.
Distilled liquors were gaining popularity at the time. Men would often start their day (this was before coffee became the morning beverage) with a 'Sling' - water, sugar, and your liquor of choice. I can assure you these are pretty tasty but the sugar and alcohol combination are a hangover waiting to happen. So when your stomach was upset and your head was aching, you went to the apothecary for a dose of bitters to make yourself feel better.
As people began to realize that it was the morning Sling(s) that caused the problem and the afternoon bitters that was the answer, they got the brilliant, albeit twisted, idea to mix the cause with the cure and
voila - we have the beginnings of the mixed drinks known as "cocktails".
Here is a recipe from an 1862 book on bar tending:
I've actually made this one and it is delicious. I did make one change. Virginia snake-root is toxic to humans, so I replaced it with a small amount of fresh ginger.
À votre santé!
Congrats !!!!!
