Description

Once a common taste, bitters have all but disappeared from modern diets. Herbal bitters have recently returned to the spotlight for their use in cocktails, but their benefits go far beyond the bar! You might be wondering: what exactly are herbal bitters? What do bitters even do in my body? Can bitters really support my digestion and metabolism? How do I create a personalized bitters formula? This course is designed to answer those questions, and more!

It’s time to reclaim the forgotten flavor that can transform your health.

While bitters may seem to be just another taste, their impact on the body is anything but simple. Bitters are a category of plants with a bitter flavor, which elicits a physiological effect not only on the digestive system—impacting overall nutrition and metabolism—but the cardiovascular, immune, respiratory, nervous, and reproductive systems as well, giving bitters a wide-range of health benefits.

Inside the course, we’ve dissected this broad category of plants to make it easy for you to understand what bitters are, how they work in the body, and which plants are included in this group. You’ll learn some common (and not-so-common) ways bitters can be used in everyday life, along with how you can create your own bitter formulas to reap the rewards of this powerful category of plants!

Throughout the course, you’ll not only learn the ins and outs of bitters, but you’ll also hear from practicing herbalists as they share their personal experiences with bitters and how they weave these historic plants into their own herbal practices.

Upgrade your enrollment with our Bitters Formulation Booklet for just $25.99!

To further support you in your bitters exploration, we’ve created a handy formulation booklet filled with helpful information, graphics, and worksheets that will assist you when you begin to make your own bitter formulas. The Bitters Formulation Booklet will provide you with resources you need for crafting bitters blends with confidence and creativity all in one place, including the taste profiles, constituents, actions, and energetics of common bitter herbs, as well as guidance on choosing the right plants and preparation methods for your formulas to help you create flavorful and effective preparations you’re sure to use.

When you add the Herbal Bitters Course to your cart, upgrade your enrollment with this booklet. Or, you can purchase this booklet separately via our Goods Shop. 

THE HERBAL BITTERS MINI COURSE OUTLINE:

LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION TO HERBAL BITTERS

Bitters have long been used for culinary and herbal purposes and have had great significance in many cultures for thousands of years. While the bitter flavor might take some getting used to, its wide-reaching effects within the body make this group of herbs quite beneficial to overall health and wellness.

In Lesson 1, you will learn:

• What herbal bitters are and their role in the human diet
• Why we benefit from herbal bitters
• The cultural significance of bitters
• How the bitter taste is perceived 
• The location of bitter receptors in the body and how they’re activated (this may surprise you!)

LESSON 2: THE BITTER TASTE AND HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY

This lesson will explore the bitter taste and how it stimulates a cascade of wellness benefits throughout the body. While bitters are best known for their effects on the digestive system, it’s important to understand how they work on a physiological level and how these beneficial effects impact several other body systems and tissues throughout the body.

In Lesson 2, we will dive into:

• The physiological actions of bitters
• The two models of bitter reception
• The effect of bitters on the digestive system
• How bitters trigger gut hormones
• Bitters’ impact on nutrition 
• The bitter taste and how it affects metabolism
• Bitters’ effects on other body systems, including the cardiovascular, immune, respiratory, nervous, and reproductive systems

LESSON 3: QUALITIES OF BITTER PLANTS

What makes bitter herbs taste bitter? This lesson will outline some of the qualities of bitter plants, starting with the various flavors of bitters—yes, there are several notes to bitter flavors!—and how to identify these yourself. Then, you’ll get to know classes of phytochemicals that confer a bitter taste along with some examples of each. You’ll also become familiar with herbal actions associated with bitter herbs and gain an understanding of the energetics and body system affinities of bitter herbs, which will help you choose the bitter herbs that are most well-suited for a particular person or imbalance.

In Lesson 3, you will learn:

• The six flavors of herbal bitters
• Tasting notes to keep in mind when assessing bitters for flavor
• Phytochemicals common to bitter herbs
• Common actions and energetics of bitter herbs
• Body system affinities of bitter herbs

LESSON 4: A BITTER MATERIA MEDICA

A bitter herb is not just a plant with a bitter taste. This lesson dives deep into 13 bitter herbs, dividing them up into five categories to help you better understand this nuanced group of plants. You’ll find herbal monographs for each herb detailing its actions, energetics, uses, safety considerations, and dosage for each plant in this lesson. Use these monographs to familiarize yourself with a small group of bitter herbs, expanding your bitter materia medica as time goes on. 

In Lesson 4, you will explore:

• Classic herbal bitters
• Inulin-rich bitters
• Warming, aromatic bitters
• Antimicrobial bitters
• Nervine bitters
• Herbal monographs for 13 of our favorite bitter herbs, including artichoke, chicory, citrus peel, mugwort, hops, and more! 

LESSON 5: APPLICATION OF HERBAL BITTERS

Once you’ve learned why bitter herbs are so great for you and how they work throughout the body, it’s time to learn how to put them to use in your daily life. In this lesson, you’ll learn a variety of ways to use bitter herbs every day and how to incorporate them in your meals with delicious culinary recipes for inspiration. You’ll find recipes for bitter blends geared toward regular digestive system support, as well as occasional support of specific organs and body systems, along with delicious culinary recipes for inspiration so you can incorporate them in your meals. so you’ll have formulations at-the-ready when you need them.  

In Lesson 5, you will dive into:

• Everyday uses of herbal bitters in foods and wellness
• Recipes for digestive, immune, liver, and nervous system support
• Special considerations to be mindful of when using bitters
• How to create a seasonal bitters ritual

LESSON 6: HERBAL PREPARATIONS FOR BITTER HERBS

There are a variety of preparation and extraction methods for bitter herbs, as one size doesn’t fit all (people or herbs!). Tinctures are a classic bitter herb preparation, and you can make these alcohol-free using vinegar or glycerin instead. Or mix it up entirely with powders, capsules, and honey-based electuaries or opt for a go-to option: herbal tea!   

In Lesson 6, you will learn:

• Common preparations for bitter herbs and blends
• How to make bitter herb tinctures, vinegars, and glycerites
• How to use bitters in teas, and when to make an infusion or a decoction 
• How to use powdered bitter herbs in capsules and electuaries

LESSON 7: BITTERS FORMULATION

In this lesson, we’ll dive into creating formulas with bitter herbs, including how to identify the best herbs to help you meet your goals. You’ll learn how to create effective, well-balanced bitters blends, including choosing the correct proportions and dosage for your formula.

In Lesson 7, we’ll cover:

• Establishing goals for your bitters formulas
• How to select the best herbs based on the actions and properties you desire
• How to use corrigents to balance your formula
• How to dose your formula
• How to formulate bitters blends for beverages

LESSON 8: BITTERS RECIPES FOR EVERYDAY

Wrap up your deep dive into the world of herbal bitters by exploring 21 additional appealing recipes to help you put bitters to use in your life! Bitter tincture blends and cocktail bitters are popular and convenient to grab the bitter taste throughout the day, but there are additional preparations you can use to harness the bitter flavor, from pastilles, powders, and nut butter balls to herbal tea blends, entrees, and sides. Get creative!

In Lesson 8, you will dive into:

• Digestive bitters recipes using a variety of favorite bitter herbs
• Cocktail bitters recipes to give a bitter zhuzh to your drinks
• Outside-the-box bitters recipes to expand your bitter palette
• Food and drink bitters recipes you can enjoy every day
• Resources for taking your learning further

In the Herbal Bitters Course, You Will Find:

How to identify bitters by their taste
How bitters work on a physiological level across several body systems
Common phytochemicals associated with bitter herbs
Actions, energetics, and body system affinities of bitter herbs
How to create a seasonal bitters ritual
How to formulate with bitter herbs
How to determine the appropriate dosage of herbal bitters
How to weave bitter herbs and preparations into your everyday life
And so much more!

Enroll by May 16 to unlock 3 amazing bonuses!

BONUS #1:
Receive a free bottle of Urban Moonshine 2 oz Citrus Bitters!

BONUS #2:
Enjoy a coupon for 30% off your next Urban Moonshine purchase!

AND BONUS #3:
Get an exclusive spot in our 6-Week Bitters Course Kick-off Series with even more videos, recipes, and resources from your trusted herbal teachers, delivered straight to your inbox starting the week of May 19. 

WEEK 1: LIVE ORIENTATION WITH LINDSEY FELDPAUSCH
A warm welcome to the course, an introduction to your instructors, and plenty of time to ask questions.

WEEK 2: BONUS VIDEO: LIVER DETOXIFICATION WITH SELIMA HARLESTON LUST 
Discover how bitters support gentle detoxification and get inspired to explore bitters growing in your own backyard.

WEEK 3: DOWNLOADABLE DANDELION MONOGRAPH
Get to know this beloved bitter herb even better with a beautifully detailed, in-depth monograph you can keep forever.

WEEK 4: MAKE YOUR OWN BITTERS, BONUS RECIPE
We’ll send you a new bitters recipe crafted just for this kick-off series to spark your creativity in the kitchen.

WEEK 5: BONUS VIDEO: BITTERS APÉRITIF RECIPE WITH SELIMA HARLESTON LUST 
An easy, delicious way to start weaving bitters into your daily rhythm, with lots of room to make it your own.

WEEK 6: (NOT SO) BITTER BUSINESS OWNERS
See how others have built inspiring herbal businesses based on their knowledge of bitters, and enjoy an exclusive 20% coupon for related Herbal Academy courses that further your journey.

Pre-registration starts May 1 and doors to this exciting new course open on May 16!

Are you ready to become skilled in the use of herbal bitters?

Join us in this BRAND NEW course today!

Enrollment bonuses end May 16
(Doors open May 16!)

* Lifetime Access is access to the course that you purchased for as long as the particular course is offered by the Herbal Academy. View Terms & Conditions for more detail.