Eda Rhyne Bitter Tooth Woodland Aperitivo Liqueur

Eda Rhyne Bitter Tooth Woodland Aperitivo Liqueur is the Appalachian take on the classic Italian red bitter from Eda Rhyne Distilling Company of Asheville, North Carolina, founded in 2018 by organic farmer and distiller Rett Murphy and Chris Bower, a bar owner, forager and student of Appalachian folk medicine. Launched in 2024 after years of reformulation, Bitter Tooth macerates more than twenty botanicals in stages in a non-GMO corn spirit — gentian, wormwood, cinchona, yarrow, rhubarb root, sarsaparilla, cherry bark, spicebush, hibiscus, cardamom, juniper, citrus peel and vanilla among them — rests two months in stainless steel, is sweetened with cane sugar, colored naturally with black carrot and hibiscus instead of dye, and bottled unfiltered at 42% ABV in a 750mL bottle. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.

• Proof / ABV: 84 proof (42% ABV)
• Size: 750mL
• Botanicals: 20+ including gentian, wormwood, cinchona, spicebush, hibiscus and cardamom
• Base: Non-GMO corn spirit; rested 2 months in stainless steel; unfiltered
• Color: Natural — black carrot and hibiscus, no dye
• Producer: Eda Rhyne Distilling Co., Asheville, North Carolina — founded 2018
• Origin: North Carolina, USA

Italian Amaro, Appalachian Botanicals

Eda Rhyne takes its name from an old Appalachian ghost story and its method from Italian amaro tradition, rebuilt with the plants of the Southern mountains — many of them wild-foraged, including the spicebush Bower prizes for the snap and depth it gives this brawny aperitivo. It is a red bitter with real structure: at 42% ABV it is stronger than most of its Italian inspirations, so it holds its line in a stirred drink. Explore more liqueurs and aperitivo bottles, or browse the wider spirits shelf at Del Mesa.

Tasting Notes

Citrus peel, cardamom, juniper and vanilla on the nose. The palate is broad and honeyed, framed by layered bitterness from gentian, wormwood and cinchona, and the finish is long and woodland-dark.

How to Enjoy

Pour it over ice with seltzer for a woodland spritz, lengthen it with fresh orange juice Garibaldi-style, or build an Appalachian Negroni with gin and a light sweet vermouth. Find more cocktail building blocks at Del Mesa Liquor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What style is Bitter Tooth?
It is an Italian-style red bitter aperitivo — the Campari family — made in Asheville with more than twenty botanicals, many Appalachian and wild-foraged.

Why is it red without dye?
It is colored naturally with black carrot and hibiscus and bottled unfiltered, rather than with artificial coloring.

What size and proof is it?
750mL at 42% ABV (84 proof).

Shop Eda Rhyne Bitter Tooth at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA, for a red bitter rooted in the Blue Ridge instead of Lombardy.