In this episode of In The Den, I sat down with Renée Cebula, the historian‑turned‑entrepreneur behind Badass Bitters, Badass Barware, and Raising the Bar — three Spokane-born businesses built around cocktail history, education, and hands‑on creativity.
Renée doesn’t just make bitters. She teaches people the story behind them — how bitters moved from ancient medicine to the backbone of American cocktail culture. Her DIY kits bring that history to life, giving both bartenders and home mixologists everything they need to craft their own custom batches, all while learning the origins of the flavors they’re working with.
We talk about how her background as a historian shaped her work, how Badass Bitters grew from research into a full product line, and why she’s passionate about helping people understand the past through what’s in their glass. We also get into why she joined SIMBA, what she’s hoping to build in Spokane’s small business community, and how local support plays a role in keeping these craft traditions alive.
Whether you love cocktails, love history, or just want to try something new in your home bar — Renée’s story is a perfect reminder that learning can be interactive, flavorful, and pretty fun, too.
Discover more at badass-bitters.com