In the Weeds is a tribute to the great herbal drinks of Europe. That’s the word from Michael Ryan, chef and owner of Provenance and founder and chief distiller of Beechworth Bitters. Ryan founded the company during lockdown, and it has since grown to produce around half a dozen different bitter drinks, Up to Eleven and Beetlejuice among them, as well as a yuzu-driven riff on limoncello.
“I’d always had a penchant for cocktails and had always wanted to make my own bitters,” he says. “I’d even bought some botanicals years back with the intention of getting into it, but never got around to doing it. Lockdowns certainly gave me the time to finally get it done.”
The latest limited-edition addition to the family is In the Weeds, which is Ryan’s take on that most sought-after of European bitter herbal drinks, green Chartreuse, made using the plants of the Victorian High Country. Here’s Michael on why you might like to seek this one out for yourself:
What’s makes In the Weeds special?
Creating this drink involved a lot of research into what goes into these herbal drinks. The traditional makers are notoriously secretive about their recipes, which doesn’t make it easier. I chose ingredients on the strength of this research, but also on what was available to me locally. I took the botanicals and either macerated them, distilled them or both, then got to work tasting and blending. I’m happy to say that when I tasted the first trial, I knew immediately I had something special, and crazily, this first batch required very little tinkering. (Then again, after decades of working in a kitchen, if I can’t create a recipe in my head by now, what am I even doing?)
Explain like we’re five: how do you make it?
My amari and liqueurs are made from a mixture of botanicals, and I use 170 across the whole range. I source all the citrus, fruits, nuts and herbs and many of the flowers locally – they’re either foraged, grown or purchased from local suppliers. I treat them all individually to capture their flavour: most are better macerated, with each botanical having its own specific time spent in alcohol to achieve the best result, and some of them are better distilled.
Once all of the distillations and macerations are done, I blend them, and then rack them. With so many botanicals, a lot of fatty acids (esters) and oils (terpenes) can precipitate out. Racking is where the blended amaro is drained off from all of that sediment. Next comes diluting and sweetening. I work on much lower sugar levels than most commercially available amari, which can be very sweet. In The Weeds is the exception, with a much higher sugar content which works as a foil for the high alcohol content. Dilution, meanwhile, is all about bringing the final amaro down to an ABV (the alcohol level) that works for that particular amaro. After that I filter, bottle and label them and they’re good to go. This is all a manageable one-person show, for the moment, anyway.
What excites you about this project?
I had the very good fortune to spend two weeks flaneuring around Paris recently. While amaro is certainly thin on the ground there, the variety of aperitifs and digestifs in the French bar makes for some very interesting drinking choices. If Beechworth Bitters can in some way broaden the general knowledge of aperitifs and digestifs for the drinking public, and how they’re used, then I’ll be happy. If I ask customers at my restaurant if they’re familiar with amari, at the moment nearly 80 per cent of them say no. Once they’ve tried my range, plus other imported amari and see the breadth and depth offered by amaro, they’re quickly converted.
How do we drink it?
When tasting amaro, I like to have it cold and neat. Traditionally it’s served on ice, which makes the drink more approachable, and knocks back the sugar level a bit, which is particularly helpful for the sweeter varieties. The same goes for In The Weeds.
One area where my amari and liqueurs really excel is in cocktails. I’ve recently opened a bar specialising in amaro-based cocktails above Provenance – it’s called The Parlour Amaro Bar. I may be biased, but really can’t think of many cocktails that aren’t improved by the addition, or substitution of another ingredient, with an amaro or cocktail bitters.
In The Weeds, like Green Chartreuse, is also an excellent cocktail ingredient. A favourite at the moment is the Industry Sour, an equal parts cocktail of In The Weeds, Up To Eleven (our fernet), lime juice and sugar syrup (I sometimes bring the sugar back to a 0.75 ratio). It also makes a very interesting spritz.
What are the perfect conditions to enjoy In the Weeds?
Drink In The Weeds whenever you like, but it works particularly well after dinner as a digestif. Experiment with it in cocktails.
Sit back after dinner, with a cold, neat glass in hand and listen to the song “Simple Silver Surfer”, by the recently, and very sadly, deceased Jaimie Branch. This drink is a lot. There are a lot of things going on and it’s a delicious herbal liqueur that wears its high alcohol content well, but stop and focus on what is happening on your palate. There’s a bit of fun to be had trying to pick through the 50-plus botanicals. Just like Branch’s tune. Listening to this song in the background you get the smooth rhythms, swaying beats, but stop and listen and there is so much more going on in the background. I love this tune.
Is it here for a good time or a long time?
In The Weeds is one of my limited edition blends, and I make it just once a year. I start collecting the herbs for it with the nettles in early spring and finish late summer with basil. I made quite a few bottles for the first batch, but I expect to sell out before the next batch (which will be a bigger one) is finished.
Where can we buy it?
My amari and liqueur are available retail through a few places in Melbourne (try Blackhearts and Sparrows in Melbourne or Sessions at Arden, and PNV in Sydney. It’s also available direct from my online store, and wholesale is through Black Market Sake at orders@blackmarketsake.com