Cherries & Bitters
Tempus Fugit: The Spirit of History, Restored to the Glass
Tempus Fugit is an ancient Latin phrase that means time is fleeting—irretrievable, unstoppable, inevitable. For us, it is a reminder and a standard: life is too short to drink anything less than the best.
Tempus Fugit Spirits exists for the precise and authentic execution of the well-made cocktail. Whether you’re mixing a Brandy Alexander, a Vesper, a Pink Squirrel, or something entirely new, our historic ingredients add authentic depth and complexity to every pour.
Since 2007, we have searched the world to rediscover the original flavors of rare spirits and liqueurs that industrialization had changed from craft to commodity. Working from meticulously researched 19th-century protocols, often cross-referenced across multiple languages, we recreate the authentic style and flavor of the ingredients that once defined classic cocktails. From the world’s finest absinthes to the liqueurs, aperitifs, amaros, vermouths, aromatic bitters and cocktail cherries of the golden age, we bring the Spirit of History back to today’s glass.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, these products were not mere mixers and modifiers. Historic liqueurs were typically enjoyed on their own or mixed with seltzer water to enjoy as an aperitif or digestif. Crafted from rare and exotic botanicals, they showcased the full skill of the distiller’s art: layered, complex, and satisfying enough to stand alone. Industrialization changed that. The advent of industrial distilling facilities commodified spirits, resulting in a widespread decline in the complexity and the quality of traditional liqueurs. Many once-noble recipes were simplified into lesser-quality, artificially flavored products. Recipes changed. Production shortcuts accumulated. Over time, consumers came to accept single-note and inferior versions of these spirits simply because it was their only option.
We reject those compromises. Like the great distillers, liquorists and bartenders before us, each award-winning Tempus Fugit expression is developed with exceptional pride and precision. We do this work because life is too short to produce anything other than the best: well-made cocktails deserve well-made ingredients. The weakest link in any cocktail is the lowest quality ingredient. Tempus Fugit Spirits will ensure that your cocktail modifier is as high in quality as the finest base spirit, fresh juices and garnishes. Taste, compare and decide for yourself.
Historic Liqueurs
Along with the world’s finest absinthes, Tempus Fugit was determined to seek out fine rare liquors that were once staples in classic pre-Prohibition cocktails, which have been lost over time. In most cases, Tempus Fugit recreated these liqueurs in-house using historic 19th-century protocols, many cross-referenced in several languages, to arrive as close in taste to these forgotten spirits as is possible, or surpass them.
From rare fruit, flower and plant liqueurs to bitters, amari, vermouths and chinati, Tempus Fugit prides itself in finding out what’s missing from the back bar of the most discerning bartenders. Tempus Fugit’s focus is on what is often called a cocktail “modifier,” those spirit-based ingredients used to transform whisky, gin, rum, etc. into a cocktail.
Today, this category is often abused by industrial methods of production, artificial flavors and colors. It’s known that these liqueurs were created in the past to be drunk alone, as aperitifs or digestifs, and were made with great pride and care by the best distilleries and liquorists.
Tempus Fugit follows in their noble steps, and it is with great pride that they bring the “Spirit of History” to the modern cocktail enthusiast.