Bluegrass Bitters has added Dark Cherry Bitters to its portfolio, marking the brand’s third bitters product alongside its 5-Spice Orange Bitters and Black Walnut Bitters.
The new product originated as a homemade recipe designed to complement whiskey.
“Dark Cherry was the recipe that convinced me Bluegrass Bitters could be more than a hobby,” says Founder Shawn Herbig. “I was making it at home, pairing it with the single barrel bourbons and spicy ryes my wife and I were drinking. I wanted a complex flavor that didn’t compete with the spirit but didn’t get lost either — and the cinnamon and vanilla notes, combined with the dark cherry, did something interesting with the spirit that kept drawing me back.”
According to the company, the bitters feature notes of dark cherry, cinnamon, vanilla, allspice and black pepper. Bluegrass Bitters recommends the product for use with rye whiskey and Kentucky bourbon in cocktails such as the Old Fashioned and Manhattan.
Herbig founded Bluegrass Bitters after launching market research and data analytics firm IQS Research. The company introduced its first products, 5-Spice Orange Bitters and Smoky Simple Syrup, in 2025 and added Black Walnut Bitters later that year.
Herbig said scaling production while maintaining the original flavor profile required additional time:
“Getting that same balance right at production scale took longer than I expected but keeping that flavor complexity makes it the most versatile bitters in our lineup. I can’t wait for people to try it in their own Old Fashioned or Manhattan.”
Bluegrass Bitters Dark Cherry Bitters are available through the company’s website and at select retailers. The product comes in 2-oz. bottles with either a dropper lid or mister cap and carries suggested retail prices of $13.50 and $13.99, respectively.
