Are we becoming a nation of home cocktail makers? The classic is, of course, angostura - 44.7% abv, made in Trinidad to a secret recipe that includes gentian. This is an ingredient I did allow into How to Drink (and its sister book How to Drink at Christmas). I think of it as the Lea & Perrins of the cocktail cabinet: a few drops transforms a lump of sugar, splash of brandy and glass of champagne into a classic champagne cocktail, they give an edge to an Old Fashioned or, if you are being (almost) teetotal, make a lime and soda more interesting. Most houses in which the cocktail shaker gets decent use will have one of these distinctive yellow-capped, flappy-paper-labelled bottles in the cupboard. But angostura is only the beginning. Over the past few years, the little bottle of flavoured bitters has become an increasingly common sight not just in cocktail bars, but also at home. Lavender, cardamom, celery. But why stop there? There's coriander, liquorice, orange, grapefruit, peach, cherry, black walnut, plum, vanilla, cranberry, whisky-barrel-aged, mint, lemon, pimento, ginger - I can never resist picking up these small phials, unscrewing the cap and having a quick sniff. These flavoured bitters are used in precisely the same way as angostura: like a spice, to add that skein of acrid complexity, as well as an accent of herb, root or fruit. They make a cocktail taste less like a children's fruit juice and more like a grown-up potion from an old-fashioned speakeasy, and can be used either to create variations on classic cocktails or to freestyle a recipe of your own invention. Fee Brothers is one of the best-known brands. M&S recently began to stock Fee Brothers orange bitters (it costs £8.99 and is carried by about 160 stores), which I like to use in campari drinks. For other flavours and brands - Bob's Bitters, the Bitter Truth, Bittermens - you need to head to a specialist. As you'd expect, Gerry's of Old Compton Street in Soho, London, where they like to say that "you can buy almost any drink under the sun," stocks loads and the shop assistants there give enthusiastic advice on which are worth buying and what you might use them to make. If you're buying online I recommend heading to Master of Malt, which also has an impressive selection. Orange is probably the most versatile flavour. Celery is a good one for devotees of the bloody Mary. Liquorice and lavender are both surprisingly compelling, the one adding an earthy weight, the other a floral lift to a cocktail. A daiquiri made with homemade passion fruit syrup (just add the pulp to water and sugar and reduce over heat before straining) and a touch of lavender bitter is delicious. Because bitters are the ingredient that personalise a cocktail, bartender nerds take pride in making their own. That way, you can boast that your Manhattan or your martini is utterly your own. You'll find a recipe - ingredients include cloves, coriander, allspice and cardamom - for orange bitters on Saveur. It takes three weeks to make and also requires Seville oranges, so it's nearly the season. One to add to the marmalade-making session list. Ideal for cocktail lovers Fee Brothers Orange Bitters 9%, 150ml, M&S, £8.99 A small phial of aromatic orange bitters. Try adding a dash to a martini, or use them in place of Angostura in an old fashioned, a champagne cocktail or a Manhattan. Drivers might also like a few drops in a glass of tonic water - it's a lot more fun than sipping lime soda. Finest* Cherry Brandy £9.50 for 50cl, Tesco Not just a handsome bottle. This cherry brandy is made for Tesco by DeKuyper and it makes me want to rustle up a big, creamy, chocolatey Black Forest cherry gateau. Immediately. Failing that, it would be a more than adequate substitute for maraschino in an Aviation. The Ginvent Calendar (Master of Malt, £99.95) Gin lovers, behold, your fantasy advent calendar. Behind each of the 24 doors is a miniature (30ml) sample bottle of a different gin. To tantalise, there's a No 3, a Hayman's Old Tom, a Sloane's Dry gin - but look, I'm not going to give all the surprises away. Just remember, do not open all the doors at once. And not as you're on your way out of the house of a morning. Also comes in craft gin, whisky and craft whisky versions. 'How to Drink at Christmas', £9.99, is available from Telegraph Books at £9.99 + £1.10p&p. Call 0844 871 1514 or visit Telegraph Books