Ingredients

1 oz Damiana
½ oz Angostura
½ oz Bitter Orange Peel
½ oz Canada Snake Root
¼ oz Lemon Peel
1 tsp Cardamon
1 tsp Cloves
½ tsp Coriander
1 pint Alcohol, 40%

Directions

Reduce the spices to a coarse powder in a mortar and then mix with the dilute alcohol and macerate for 48 hours.

Ro make the bitters, mix 1 fluid ounce of extract with 10 ounces of water and 5 of alcohol. Damiana Wine-Bitters may be prepared by substituting sweet catawba or sherry wine for the dilute alcohol.

Notes

by Darcy O'Neil :: [Bitters]

Around 1875 a bitters based on the damiana plant was sold under the name of "Aztec Damiana Bitters" as well as "Liquor Potencial de Damiana". The damiana plant was often used as a nerve tonic, as well as an purported aphrodisiac. This recipe comes from the Standard Manual of Soda (1899) so it was probably used in drinks and the following recipe shows a flavour profile similar to other aromatic and cocktail bitters.