Bitter After the Pint: Haritaki and the Old Habit of Digestive Bitters

It’s a time that anyone who has spent time around brewers is familiar with. You are presented with a sample of a new Double IPA; you take a sip, and your mouth tightens up. The pungent amaro-style acidity, the high hoppy notes, and the aftertaste of hoppy dryness can surprise even the smoothest drinking beer drinkers. That first reaction shows how strongly our tastes influence the way we taste various beers.

The bitter is where most people disagree on beer; the bitter is the oldest part of the beer outside of the glass. Long before hops were the norm, people chewed, steeped, and drank bitter plants for a very different purpose: to help with digestion. It never left my mind. It lives on in the amaro after an Italian dinner, in aromatic bitters in an Old Fashioned, and now in a variety of herbal powders flavoring beers that most brewers aren’t aware of. One of those more interesting is from India and has little to do with hops.

A Short History of Bitter

Until the introduction of hops to Europe, ale was flavored with gruit, a mixture of herbs including bog myrtle, yarrow, and wild rosemary. They were selected for the brewers’ use both for their flavor and for their preservation qualities, and for the fact that many people were already utilizing those same plants as tonics. Apart from protecting beer from spoilage, nothing else seemed to be as effective a remedy as hops, and the traditional association of bitterness and regularity of the bowels persisted in folk medicine.

There is some information that has been filled in by science. Besides the tongue, we also have bitter taste receptors in the gut that can stimulate the release of saliva, stomach acid, and bile. A bit of a stretch as proof of an indigestion cure. But a good explanation of why so many cultures developed the same habit independently about food.

Meet Haritaki

The plant known as Terminalia chebula, or the dry fruits of the tree, is one of the most popular sour botanicals in India. It is part of a popular Ayurvedic herb combination called triphala, which is used for digestion and bowel regularity, and has a long history of traditional use. Unsweetened, astringent, and bitter, with a taste of sourness, more like the taste of an unsweetened black tea that is over-brewed than anything floral.

Most people meet it as a fine brown powder. If you are curious about the practical side, this guide on how to use haritaki powder walks through typical amounts, the difference between taking it with warm water or honey, and the situations where it is better avoided. The short version is that it is usually taken in small doses, often in the evening, and that more is not better.

Why Beer Drinkers are Interested

After a few hours of tasting, you’ll find everyone at a taproom telling you how their beer makes them heavy, how they feel bloated, and how they don’t feel awake enough to drink much coffee. Everyone will say the same thing after a long time of tasting at the taproom: the beer makes me feel heavy, I feel bloated, I don’t feel I can have much coffee. Several rounds of high-gravity beer and rich food are no help to digestion, hence the longevity of a bitter digestif.

In that regard, Haritaki has a few points to make. It is usually employed for bowel movements, and initial research in the lab has examined its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The effects of triphala on gut comfort and constipation have also been examined in research; there have been some promising small studies. All of this doesn’t make a powder into a hangover remedy, and anyone claiming it does is blowing smoke. What it does provide is: amaro does as well, a small, nuggety ritual, many people find, that will make them feel lighter.

How People Actually Use It

• With warm water. The simplest method: a small amount stirred into a cup of warm water, usually before bed.
• With honey or ghee. Traditional texts pair haritaki with different carriers depending on the season and the person. Honey makes the flavor far more pleasant.
• As part of triphala. Many people start with the three-fruit blend rather than haritaki alone because it is milder.
• In a bitter tonic. A few home mixologists steep a pinch with ginger and orange peel to make a non-alcoholic digestif. It is an acquired taste, but so is a Fernet.

The Sensible Cautions

At higher doses, haritaki is a laxative herb, so don’t try it out before going on a long drive. It’s not advisable to use during pregnancy or for young children, or individuals who are dehydrated or already suffering from diarrhea. The plant has been studied for its effects on blood sugar, and people on regular medication, particularly for diabetes, should consult with a professional first.

It’s also important to keep in mind that no herb can reverse the effects of consuming a lot of alcohol. If you are a beer connoisseur and regularly try out various styles of beer, whether it’s the hoppiest of the IPAs or the richest of the stouts, it is important to know how much of it you can consume. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism provides some helpful guidelines on how to drink moderately and the health effects it will have, so that those who enjoy beer can make informed decisions as they enjoy their interest. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health provides balanced information about Ayurveda and what is known and unknown about its treatments.

A Bitter Tradition to Know.

Bitterness has always been part and parcel of beer culture. We weigh it and run after it, even debate it. Haritaki is a reminder that the same taste can be used for a different purpose: that of a kitchen remedy, a use that is thousands of years old, even before the invention of modern brewing. With care and in moderation, it can be an intriguing look into the age-old tradition of savoring a good bite of food with a bit of bitterness. The same appreciation for bitterness can be applied to the drinking of some styles of beer, such as hoppy, over-amplified IPAs and traditional bitters, where hoppy flavor and aroma are a central part of the tasting experience.