A friend and I were talking about Swedish bitters, and we look all over the place online until we found this Swedish bitters original recipe. Supposedly it’s very popular because the doctor that invented it lived to 104, and there are tons of stories online about the afflictions that it has cured. The recipe is somewhat dangerous, and I absolutely wouldn’t recommend trying it. It’s, um, strange.

10 gm. Aloe
6 gm. Myrrh
2 gm. Saffron
10 gm. Senna leaves
10 gm. Camphor
10 gm. Rhubarb roots
10 gm. Manna
10 gm. Theriac venezian
5 gm. Carline Thistle roots
10 gm. Angelica roots
10 gm. Zedoary roots

This mixture is put into a wide-necked 2 liter bottle and 1.5 liter of 38% to 40% rye or fruit spirit are poured over It. The bottle is left standing in the sun or near the stove for 14 days arid shaken daily. The liquid is then strained and poured into small bottles, well-stoppered and stored in cool place, This way it can be kept for many years. The longer it stands, the more effective it becomes! Shake well before use! Alternatively, some of the liquid can be strained into a small bottle and the rest left in the bottle until required.

Swedish Bitters Original Recipe Notes

Wow, I don’t even know where I’d get half that stuff! And mixing it with rye and letting is stand… Wow. Seriously, don’t try this! Find a mix online and buy that, instead!