Chicago bartenders make their own cocktail bitters all the time, but there isn’t a company based here that bottles and sells bitters. This afternoon, Greg Buttera sent us an e-mail to say that he’s planning to do just that: He’s leaving his post as creative director at Barrelhouse Flat on February 20 to launch Weatherby’s Bitters, a “cocktail ingredient company.”
Weatherby’s will make tonics, syrups and small-batch bitters. Buttera and business partner John McBride are planning to start with three bitters—Bolivian Cola, Orange Saffron and Fig Fenugreek—which will be released in May 2014.
Buttera has been with Barrelhouse since it opened in October 2011, and he’s also worked at the Aviary, Sable, Curio and other spots around town. While we’re already looking forward to adding the bitters to our home bar, the news means you have about three weeks left to go have Buttera make you a drink at Barrelhouse.