Are Fee Brothers Bitters Non-Alcoholic?

Traditional cocktail bitters are typically made with a high-proof alcohol base, often 35% to 45% ABV, which is why Fee Brothers stands out. Because they use a glycerine base instead, many people assume they're alcohol-free, but that's not entirely true. The base may be alcohol-free, but the flavourings used by Fee's still contain a small amount of alcohol.

Curious what that means for your cocktail? Certainly understandable! The following guide will walk you through what this means and the impact of alcohol-containing bitters on an otherwise alcohol-free drink.

Why everyone assumes they're alcohol-free

Walk down the cocktail aisle, and most bitters brands you'll find (Angostura being one of the most ubiquitous) are built on a high-proof spirit base. That spirit base is why traditional bitters read as high ABV on paper, even though you only ever use a dash or two.

Fee Brothers took a different route. Like many contemporary non-alcoholic bitters producers, Fee's uses a vegetable glycerine base rather than a spirit base. Glycerine (or glycerol) is a thick, slightly sweet, plant-derived liquid that carries flavour well, making it a popular choice in the NA category. Because of this, at a quick glance, glycerine-based bitters are assumed to be the alcohol-free pick, and that's where the confusion starts.

So are Fee Brothers bitters actually alcohol-free?

No, not completely, and the answer lies in the choice of production method. Traditionally, bitter producers focus on using whole botanicals, fruits, herbs, and spices to derive their flavour and complexity, but others may opt for flavourings, extracts, and essences instead (with Fee opting for the latter). While the net result in the bottle may appear similar, there are important trade-offs to consider as a consumer.

By Fee Brothers' own account (see their FAQ), the flavourings they use still contain alcohol. They compare it to the alcohol in vanilla extract, which relies on a heavy spirit base to carry the vanilla flavour but isn't typically consumed on its own or considered by most to be alcohol. So the honest answer sits in the middle. Fee Brothers bitters aren't the same as a straight shot of spirit, and they don't carry the same ABV as traditional bitters brands like Angostura, but they aren't truly alcohol-free either.

Do a couple of dashes even matter?

For a lot of people, no. Bitters go into a drink a few drops at a time, so the actual amount of alcohol landing in your glass is tiny. If you're cutting back rather than cutting out, this is probably not an issue.

That said, for someone avoiding alcohol entirely, even small amounts can matter. To understand how this affects an alcohol-free drink, consider a common Old Fashioned-style mocktail build:

• 2 oz non-alcoholic whiskey alternative
• 0.25 oz simple syrup
• Stirred with ice, adding approximately 30 mL of dilution
• Total finished volume: just under 100 mL

Two dashes of a 44.7% ABV bitters bring this drink to about 0.7% to 0.9% ABV, already past the 0.5% threshold typically used to legally define a "non-alcoholic" beverage. With traditional bitters, in other words, even a normal dose of 2+ dashes tips the drink over the line.

So what about Fee's? Consider their Old Fashioned Aromatic Bitters, which clock in at 17.5% ABV (lower than Angostura, but still very much present). The same two dashes land around 0.3% ABV, which keeps the finished cocktail under the legal NA threshold, but three or more dashes push you closer to (or past) 0.5%, depending on the exact product and ABV used.

The one thing to check on any bitters

When in doubt, check the label.

Specifically, take a look at the ingredient list, focusing on how your preferred bitters brand derives its flavour rather than just the base used. A glycerine base indicates how the bitters are made, but it doesn't guarantee the bottle is alcohol-free, because flavour can still sneak in through alcohol-based extracts.

Still not sure? Ask the maker directly, and most would be more than happy to describe production methods and ingredients at length.

How we make our bitters at Bark & Bitter

Our bitters are 0.0% ABV, full stop.

Across our entire line of alcohol-free spirits, bitters, and mixers, we build flavour from whole botanicals rather than artificial flavours, extracts, or essences. Each recipe is purpose-built by a bartender and made for cocktails.

If you want a set of bitters that's genuinely alcohol-free from the base all the way through the flavouring, that's exactly what we make. Comparing against an aromatic like Fee's? Our Honestly Aromatic Bitters are the ones we'd point you to, and you can see the full line on our non-alcoholic bitters page.

The short of it

Fee Brothers makes a great product, and a glycerine base is a real step away from a spirit one. Just don't read glycerine as a guarantee. Alcohol-free is a claim about the whole bottle, flavourings included, and that's the line worth holding.