Dynamic Seattleites: Master of the Craft, Miles Thomas

Trendsetting and trailblazing — this mixologist paves the way in the world of bitters.

The cocktail renaissance in America is upon us, and it’s no secret that Seattle has distinguished itself as a leader in the movement. Most praise is heaped on the men and women tending bar — and deservedly so — but trailblazer Miles Thomas actually stepped out from behind the bar and made his mark on the culture by developing his own line of bitters.

Miles Thomas of Scrappy's Bitters at Book Bindery in Queen Anne; Photo by Chris Laurion

The result is Scrappy’s Bitters, available in an assortment of flavors, many of which now rest on the shelves of some of the country’s top watering holes.

Thomas, a Capitol Hill resident and avid cyclist, started bartending at 21, and discovered craft cocktailing during a three-and-a-half year stint at Serafina on Eastlake. There, he was handed full reins for experimentation.

“When I started [at Serafina], I was taught to make all of our bar mixers,” he said. “This was the essence of a craft bar: you should be squeezing your own juice and making your own syrups. We took it a step farther making our own flavored vodkas and liquors.”

He moved on to become bar manager at Branzino and began developing house-made tonic water, liquor and bitters. In all, it took about four years to develop a saleable product, but it wasn’t until a fortuitous night in a room packed with the region’s best craft bartenders that a light bulb went off in his head.

“We exchanged bitters and I realized that they were all incredible bartenders, but not bitters makers,” Thomas said. “That is when I decided to go into business.”

That was winter 2008; the dawning of a new era of bitters not just for Thomas, but for the industry. At the time, there were only four mainstream bitters makers; today there are more than 30.

The name “Scrappy” came naturally: it’s Thomas’ life-long nickname, thanks to an aggressive persona and tendency to pick fights. It became a permanent moniker in spring 2007 when he famously suffered a gunshot wound while fending off an armed robber at Serafina. He was knocked out of work for six months, but the incident had a mellowing effect on him, and he admits his aggression is non-existent now.

Thomas considers Seattle to be on par with New York City and San Francisco as the top craft cocktail cities in the country, and from the beginning he made a push to have a strong presence in the Big Apple.

One of those places is Death and Co., a staple of every Top Ten list of America’s Best Bars. It was one of the first places Scrappy’s appeared, with Thomas acting as his own salesman. Now, since hiring a New York-based distribution company, he’s had to increase his travels just to figure out how many places actually carry his product.

“We expect them to become our biggest customer,” he said, referring to New York City. “However, because we do not sell direct we have to visit to find out who has what.”

Now firmly entrenched in the bitters business, Thomas has his sights set on the future. He plans to move his operation for a second time in August, and hopefully start producing liquors and a gin by next year.

Thomas’ favorite drink is an homage to a fallen Seattle institution – “The Lusty Lady”.

“Lusty Lady” Ingredients:
+ 2 oz gin
+ ½ oz lime juice
+ ½ oz simple
+ 1/8 oz cranberry juice
+ one egg white
+ 2 to 3 dashes of Scrappy’s Lavender bitters
+ shake until frothy and serve up with brandied cherries

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