The origin story of Bitter Bubble starts like a joke: A chef and an engineer walk into a bar… But, in this case, instead of asking the bartender for a drink, they decide to design one themselves.
In Vermont’s inventive beverage sphere, a chef and an engineer joining forces to create a line of delicately bitter, botanical-flavored soda water is no surprise. What did surprise me, after having quaffed Bitter Bubble for several months, was realizing that one of the state’s most prolific chef-restaurateurs was behind it.
Sometimes you pick up a lushly illustrated fuchsia-and-green can that delivers a refreshing blend of bitters and soda accented with rhubarb, one of your top 10 flavors, and sip it gladly without digging deeper than the brand’s slick but backstory-free website.
It wasn’t until I emailed Eric Warnstedt in late 2023 about a restaurant project that I noticed Bitter Bubble listed under his signature. The 49-year-old cofounder of Hen of the Wood in Waterbury and Burlington owns Heirloom Hospitality, which includes Doc Ponds in Stowe and Prohibition Pig and Gallus Handcrafted Pasta, both in Waterbury. Most recently, Heirloom partnered with Burlington’s Hotel Champlain to open Original Skiff Fish + Oysters.
After completing the business at hand, I wrote, “Eric, do you own Bitter Bubble?! How did I not know that?” He responded that he’d started the biz with a buddy and added, “We haven’t really done much with it yet but have big visions if we ever have the time.”
“It’s really just been a fun sort of garage brand.” Eric Warnstedt
Since then, Warnstedt hasn’t found more time to devote to the side hustle — nor has his collaborator, George Martin, a 42-year-old Burlington engineer whose LN Consulting designs mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems for buildings. But when I followed up recently, they shared the vision behind Bitter Bubble and its three flavors so far: Rhubarb & Hibiscus, Blood Orange & Chamomile, and Sour Cherry & Chicory. The nonalcoholic line contains no calories or sweeteners and retails throughout Vermont for about $1.99 a can.
The friends began batting about the idea almost a decade ago. They often drank soda water with a splash of Angostura bitters, sometimes to pace themselves when out for an evening, Warnstedt said, or instead of flavored seltzers during the day.
Warnstedt said he enjoys alcohol and has no interest in de-alcoholized products such as NA beer, but he likes to moderate his consumption. With a chuckle, he described himself and Martin as “two dudes who don’t want to get as fat drinking.”
Seeking more sophisticated, sweetener-free flavors of bubbly water, the pair started experimenting with making their own bitters, using grain alcohol to extract the essences of fruits, herbs, flowers and roots.
“It was like a little science lab, but we really didn’t know what we were doing,” Warnstedt said.
They eventually landed on a gentian root, chicory and dandelion root base for all three varieties. The blood orange tastes similar to the Angostura-and-soda combo, while the sour cherry successfully evokes the intended “almond and cherry cola nose” that Warnstedt described. My favorite, the rhubarb, is “a little bit more exotic, tropical, floral,” he said.
Developing the flavors and hiring Williston creative director Dennis Healy to create the eye-catching brand design were the easier parts, Warnstedt said. To launch, they needed a local co-packer who could produce and can large batches and a distributor willing to take on an untested product with zero marketing budget. Warnstedt’s industry connections helped, and Bitter Bubble has grown since 2021 to sell about 4,800 cans monthly.
“At some point, we’ll go borrow money and make this thing bigger,” Warnstedt said. “For now, it’s really just been a fun sort of garage brand.”
Demand for new nonalcoholic choices has helped. Dana Parseliti, manager and beverage buyer for Burlington’s Honey Road and Grey Jay, said Bitter Bubble stands out among “elevated seltzer offerings.” She was initially impressed by the “beautiful flavors” and “intriguing” packaging.
“They don’t look homespun,” she said.
Parseliti also appreciates that the flavors “are not overpowering and have such a pretty nose. The little bittering component is nice.”
Bitter Bubble’s creators recommend drinking it ice cold from the can, but they also enjoy it with alcohol on occasion. Martin shouted out the Sunshine cocktail made with the Blood Orange & Chamomile flavor at EB Strong’s Prime Steakhouse in Burlington.
Warnstedt often orders a Negroni and a Bitter Bubble. “After I take the first couple sips of the Negroni, I’ll just top it off with Bitter Bubble,” he said, noting that the technique works with any simple booze-forward cocktail, especially those featuring Campari or Aperol.
“It’s going to take me twice as long to drink my cocktail,” he said. “It slows my roll.”
The original print version of this article was headlined “Bitter Is Better | A Vermont chef and engineer created a sophisticated botanical soda water brand”
This article appears in May 28 – Jun 3, 2025.
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