For a lot of people, bitters are the little paper-wrapped bottle in the door of the fridge that isn't Worcestershire Sauce. Many bars these days don't even have bitters, especially portable bars set up for events. The next time you go to a wedding reception, if you want a decent cocktail, you'd best bring your own bitters!

Bitters (obviously) are used to balance the sweetness in a drink that is typically added by simple syrup or a liqueur. You don't usually use bitters in drinks that have lemon or lime juice because those ingredients provide their own tartness and mask the delicate flavors of the bitters.

Bitters are catching on again, after a long period out of favor. Fee Brothers makes an eye-popping range of bitters (see photo above). but many of these are of very limited interest. To make virtually all classic cocktails, your well-stocked bar needs only:

• Angostura Bitters, available everywhere, used in many drinks, especially whiskey drinks
• Orange Bitters, less widely available, see Fee's or Regan's No. 6. Used in some gin drinks (including some Martini formulations), nice with rye.
• Peychaud's Bitters, used in the Sazerac and a few other less common but delicious cocktails.

You can find Chocolate bitters, Rhubarb bitters, Cherry bitters, and more. What you'll do with them is up to you. I have not yet found a need for them.