Augustin Thompson patented Moxie Nerve Food in 1876, claiming it treated nervousness and insomnia. The active ingredient was gentian root — one of the most bitter herbs in the European pharmacopeia — and the drink was so associated with vigor that “moxie” became American slang for grit.
Ingredients (makes about 2 cups concentrate)
- 2 tablespoons dried gentian root (very bitter — start with 1 tablespoon if new to bitters)
- 1 teaspoon dried wintergreen leaf
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split, 1 teaspoon dried orange peel
- 3 cups filtered water
- 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses, 1/4 cup raw honey
- Sparkling water and ice, to serve
Method
- Simmer gentian root, wintergreen, vanilla, and orange peel in the water 25 minutes.
- Strain through cheesecloth — you should have about 2 cups of dark liquid.
- While warm, stir in molasses and honey until dissolved. Cool completely.
- To serve: combine 2 to 3 tablespoons concentrate with 8 oz sparkling water. This is a bitter tonic in the European amaro tradition, not a sweet soda.
Gentian root stimulates bile production and supports liver function — the same principle behind Italian amaro digestifs. Refrigerate up to a month.
This recipe is one of twenty in The Forgotten Apothecary — our full digital cookbook of pharmacy-counter tonics, switchels, oxymels, and healing syrups.