Orange Bitters

Flavor Profile

The perfect substitute for orange zest in all food and drink recipes.  Zesty and mildly sweet with hints of gingerbread.

Palate has a perfect blend of sweet and bitter flavors giving a mouth warming array of citrus spicy notes, ending in subtle astringent mouth feel.  The nose has orange top rounded off with a combination of aromatic of spices. Fresh and flavorful with a soft mellow note.

Orange bitters were the natural successor of aromatic bitters when new distillation methods led to a lighter type of spirit. The first orange bitters were released in the 1880s, a time when many classic cocktails such as the Martinez and Manhattan were created. Today they are still the most versatile bitters and essential for the preparation of a Dry Martini Cocktail.  Orange bitters open with a traditional marmalade scent on the nose, followed by delicate notes of sweet cinnamon and nutmeg. On the palate, the first impression is fruity sweetness from sweet Cara Cara oranges and Seville oranges, quickly followed by bitterness. Cardamom and caraway emerge mid-palate, finishing with true orange peel oil. The bitters are made from a combination of sweet and bitter orange peel along with several herbs and spices macerated in alcohol. This layered profile, combining citrus, spice, and bitterness, accounts for their broad compatibility with white spirits, brown spirits, vermouth, and aperitif bitters.

Orange Bitters function as a liquid spice in cocktails, adding flavor complexity, aromatic depth, and balance to a drink the way spices season food. Orange bitters in particular are considered the most versatile bitters in the category, pairing well with white spirits, brown spirits, vermouth, sherry, and aperitif bitter liqueurs. In practice, even a small dose reshapes a drink: the orange and spice compounds in orange bitters contribute aroma and a bittersweet counterweight that keeps sweeter or spirit-forward cocktails from tasting flat or one-dimensional. Classic cocktails such as the Dry Martini, Manhattan, Negroni, Italian Spritz, and Horse's Neck all use orange bitters for exactly this balancing role.

Some flavors just wake you up. Orange is one of them, that bright, sweet, tart, sunny, instantly uplifting, zesty, vibrant, punchy hit with just enough tartness to make your taste buds sit up and pay attention.

Orange Bitters captures that vibrant, sun-ripened flavor.  A few drops are all it takes to bring bold orange life to your drinks, baked goods, and kitchen creations. It's the kind of ingredient that makes people ask, "what's in this?"

This clean, natural orange flavor plays well with everything from prosecco to pound cake.  Tt brings a fresh, bright orange lift to your baking, your morning coffee, your cocktails, and everything in between.  Versatile enough for everyday use, impressive enough for your best recipes.  It pairs well with other tropical flavors such as coconut and pineapple, as well as with herbs like mint and basil.

Familiar to Persian, Arabic, Indian and Turkish cuisine, Orange Bitters brings the sweet perfume of the orange groves to a variety of dishes. It is a delicious addition to various sweets including custards, puddings, cakes, cookies, candies and other confections.

Thought to have originated in the Middle East, where orange blossoms are seen as the traditional bridal flower and, therefore, symbolize purity (white, small and delicate). Traditional Middle Eastern cooking calls for orange flower water in both savory and sweet [dessert] foods.

Ever since oranges made their appearance in the Middle East, people have been distilling the petals to produce flavorful and fragrant orange blossom water for food preparation. At the end of the 17th century, Anne Marie Orsini, Duchess of Bracciano and Princess of Nerola, Italy, used the essence of the bitter orange tree blossoms to perfume her baths. Today, the fragrance continues to gain popularity. A cross between a pomelo and a mandarin, the orange was originally cultivated by ancient Southeast Asians and is therefore known in a number of languages as the “Chinese Apple.” Unlike what you might expect, the name orange doesn’t actually refer to the color but, instead, comes from the Sanskrit word for fragrant. After thousands of years, the fruit trees spread to North Africa in the First Century A.D. Later, the Moorish conquest of Spain spread oranges north into Europe. Orange seeds made the trip across the Atlantic with Columbus, quickly spreading throughout the warmer regions of North America, Central and South America as well as the Caribbean.

Our Orange Bitters can be used in sorbets, sherbets, ice cream, beverages, fillings, and more.  This refreshing, palate cleansing flavor will surely brighten up your day.  Bring a new life to the recipes you love to make.

The orange bitters pairs nicely with vanilla, chocolate, almond, and cream. It is used in Middle Eastern lamb recipes, and is a perfect accompaniment for fruit, madeleines in France, wedding cakes in Mexico, and scones and cocktails, such as the Ramos Gin Fizz, in the U.S.

 Orange Bitters is a sunny and refreshing partner to many flavors including strawberry, vanilla, pineapple and chocolate. Enhance savory dishes such as rice, chicken, pork, and fish with the fresh orange appeal, as well as a variety of herbs including parsley, rosemary, thyme, ginger, lavender, garlic, and basil.

Our pure Orange Bitters is a fantastic helper ingredient to have on hand for the times you forget to buy fresh orange.

Fresh and fruity-tangy with an intense citrus note. They are bitter to the taste with flavorful notes of coriander and cardamom in the background. Orange  Bitters has a decadent aroma of hot orange tea with honey. Fresh, fruity, and dense with spice, this little blonde has sherbet flavors mingling with coriander seed and a light touch of toasted cardamom. The pithy orange brings out the charm in light or sharp mixed drinks and slips deliciously into gin, vodka, white rum, or Blanco tequila.

With an instantaneous boost of the zingy breakfast fruit on the first sniff, you`ll get both the bitter oils but also the classic sharp tang on the tongue, followed by complex vegetal tones and a dry hop finish.  It is reminding of the summers outdoors. Delicate to the nose, these bitters can stand up to aggressive drinks and makes for a nice addition in fizzy and fruity drinks.

Orange Bitters pairs well with vermouth, white spirits, and aperitif bitter liqueurs, making it a natural fit for botanical-forward cocktails that combine gin with herbal or fortified ingredients. Its flavor profile opens with fruity sweetness and bitter orange peel aroma, then moves into spicy notes of cardamom, caraway, and nutmeg. Those spice-forward qualities bridge gin's botanicals with the herbal complexity of spirits like Green Chartreuse, while the bitter orange element echoes the citrus character of orange curacao. The product is described as the most versatile bitters, suited to any spirit or liqueur, and its traditional marmalade nose with sweet cinnamon and nutmeg layers integrates into multi-ingredient builds without overpowering other components.

Perfect for Brunch hosts, old fashioned drinkers, cold brew enthusiasts, creamsicle lovers, and anyone who finds standard orange juice a little flat.

Fat-Free, Saturated Fat-Free, Cholesterol-Free, Sodium-Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Paleo, Vegetarian

Suggestions for Uses

• Shanghi Martini: Shake ice with 1.5oz Gin, splash of dry vermouth.  Add a couple dashes of Orange Bitters.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with a twist of Orange.

• Stir into bourbon for an instant orange old fashioned. Splash it into Prosecco for a brunch mimosa with real orange depth. Mix it with vanilla syrup and cream for a Creamsicle that actually tastes like the popsicle. Add it to cold brew with a splash of tonic for a coffee-shop-grade pick-me-up. Or mix with sparkling water for an orange soda that doesn't taste like Crush.

• Well matched with desserts like chocolate, fudge, jams and jellies and ice cream.

• In cooked applications such as caramel sauce or baked goods, most of the alcohol will evaporate during heating, but in no-bake recipes or cold dressings the alcohol remains present in proportion to the quantity used. Because only a few dashes are typically called for in a recipe, the residual alcohol contribution to a finished dish is very small, though it is worth noting for anyone avoiding alcohol entirely.

• Because orange bitters act just like salt and pepper do for cooking, they can be used to wake up sweet and savory dishes. Add a few dashes to glazes for poultry, marinades for seafood, or into cake batters and custards to boost their natural citrus notes.

• Add 3 to 4 dashes to sparkling water with a squeeze of fresh lemon or orange for a crisp, low-calorie drink

• Throw a few dashes in a gimlet, a margarita, a cosmopolitians

• Elevate a simple Screwdriver (vodka and orange juice) or mix Cognac and cola with a few dashes of orange bitters to add depth and intrigue.

• A dash or two enhances the citrus profile of a standard Gin & Tonic

• Replace traditional aromatic bitters in your Old Fashioned with orange bitters, or use a split of both, to enhance your whiskey and muddled sugar.

• A few dashes are an industry-standard addition to dry and gin martinis, tying the botanical notes of the gin to the vermouth.

• Switch up your typical Manhattan by adding a dash or two of orange bitters, which pairs beautifully with sweet red vermouth and rye or bourbon

• A dash of orange bitters can add surprising brightness to Hollandaise sauce or sautéed root vegetables.

• Whisk a few drops into olive oil, garlic, and herbs to create a bright marinade for chicken or fish

• Use it to replace lemon or lime juice in vinaigrettes when you want a strong orange aroma without the added liquid

• Add a dash to iced teas, lemonade, or use it to rim glasses for margaritas and mixed drinks

• Stir about 1/4 teaspoon per 8 ounces of liquid into simple syrup to flavor coffee, sodas, or water.  It is excellent for instantly brightening up smoothies, homemade lemonades, or fruit-flavored popsicles.  Add a dash to margaritas, mojitos, or mocktails for an extra punch of orange without needing to slice fresh fruit.

• Stir a small amount into lemon curds, fruit pies, or icebox pie fillings to give the flavor an extra boost

•  Mix 5–7 drops with fruit dip or toss it with a fresh fruit salad for a vivid flavor

• Elevate buttercreams, royal icing, or powdered sugar drizzles by adding 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of bitters for that classic, zesty tang

•  Add 1 to 2 teaspoons directly to the batter for pound cakes, muffins, or sugar cookies to give them a vibrant orange aroma

• Enhance the tartness of Key Lime Pie or no-bake lime tortes by adding 1–3 drops of bitters

• Elevate a cannoli

• For a Victorian martini, add several drops Orange Bitters to gin and a hint of vermouth.

• Baked ham with a orange glaze is sure to amaze on any occasion

• Excellent addition to your favorite chicken or steak marinade

• Grilling your corn with a orange butter

• Add a dash or even a splash to your shrimp or fish preparation and watch them sizzle and sing

• Create a breakthrough beer, seltzer, or cider

• Things like green beans aren't always easy to sell, but adding a dash of our orange bitters can make those green beans sing

• Braised chicken with a kick of our orange bitters takes a normal Sunday dinner and adds a touch of wow

• Whip with butter and honey for a orange-infused honey butter spread

• Try it in a orange poppy seed cake for an alternative breakfast treat

• Imagine fluffy, orange pancakes on a cold winter morning

• Try lemon bitters with feta and artichoke for a dip that will improve any occasion

• Flavor all your homemade salsas, sauces, sides, pies, chicken tacos, cheesecake, beer

• Glazed almond and orange pound cake

• Spiced cider

• Berry wonuts (waffles-donuts) with lemon glaze

• Orange-rosemary glazed ham

• Carrot cake cupcakes with orange cream cheese frosting

• Cilantro and orange vinaigrette

• Orange glazed donuts

• Orange buttermilk cake with orange cream cheese frosting

• Creamsicle cheesecake

• Orange chicken

• Orange glazed roasted root vegetables

• Sparkling waters and cocktails

• Matcha green tea cake layered with orange curd and topped with orange meringue frosting

• Orange blueberry Greek yogurt pancakes

• Glazed orange poppy seed cake

• Orange poppy seed biscotti

• Pumpkin cheesecake

• It enhances savory preparations such as marinades, vinaigrettes, and sauces. 

• Bake into key lime pie, lime tarts, cheesecakes, glazes, chocolate desserts, shortbread, orange cake & lemon loaf, orange bars, muffins, cupcakes & cookies, madeleines, scones

• Pancakes & waffles

• Orange curd

• Orange buttercream, pastry cream, icing & glazes

• Iced teas, lemonades, lattes, cold brew, margaritas, mojitos, mimosas, spritzes, sours, sangrias, daiquiris, caipirinhas, and mocktails, sparkling waters, smoothies, & shakes

• Orange sorbet, popsicles, creamsicles, & ice cream

• Gummies & hard candy

• Taffy & caramels

• Syrups & dessert sauces

• Incorporate into glazes, salad dressings, or savory sauces for balanced flavor depth.

• This bitters makes delectable pink lemonade marshmallows

• Mix into salad dressings for a vibrant, sunny flavor

• Incorporate into savory sauces for pasta, seafood, or grilled dishes

• Add to carrot soup

• Mix 250g Mascarpone, 60g icing sugar, and a tablespoon of Orange Bitters until smooth. Serve a dollop with warm cake or poached fruit

• Orange and parmesan pasta dressing. Per person: 1tbsp olive oil, ½ onion finely diced, ½ clove garlic, 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley or coriander leaf, 2 tea Orange Bitters, 1 tsp freshly grated Parmesan, sea salt, black pepper. Sweat the onions and garlic in a little of the oil until transparent. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, add cooked pasta, toss, and serve.

• Orange and ginger mayonnaise for a sensational chicken sandwich. Mix 75ml of your favorite mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon of Orange Bitters, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, and 1 teaspoon of chili flakes. Spread generously on two slices of bread. Add lettuce to cover, cooked chicken, 8 -10 green grapes (halved) or fresh mango sliced finely, and freshly ground black pepper to finish.

• Custards, puddings, cakes, cookies, bars, pies, gelatin, frozen desserts, fillings, frostings, whipped creams, whipped toppings, candies, confections, brownies, cakes

• Dressings, marinades, soups

• Black or green herbal teas, Pimm’s Cup, punch, margaritas, martinis, lemonades, mojitos, Bourbon cocktails, Amaretto sours

• Aromatherapy (add a teaspoon to two cups of water and simmer)

• Fruit pies, sherbets, creams, custards, ice creams, fruit salads, gelatins, sauces, any dish with: strawberry, pineapple, chocolate, kumquats

• Salad dressings, chicken, rice and fish dishes

• Whiskey ciders, ginger fizzes, whiskey sours, hot cocoa, add to chocolate milk, and cranberry juice

• Add a few drops of pure Orange Bitters to Hollandaise sauce, as a flavorful topping for vegetables.

• Stirred into blueberry yogurt

• Orange Bitters is a popular ingredient in biscotti, Italian spice cake, and in Italian ricotta cheese cake. 

• Add a orange burst to fruit pies, salad dressings, cream and custard desserts. 

• Try orange bitters in frostings and fillings, and as a fruity addition to cocoa or tea.

• Orange Bitters can enhance rice, chicken, chicken a la orange and fish dishes. Bring a orange touch to marinades for fish or pork. 

• One tsp. bitters are equal to one tbsp. liqueur [like Grand Marnier].

• Excellent in any drink with fresh lemon or grapefruit juice, tequila, bitter orange liqueurs like Campari, or hoppy IPAs.

•  Add a few drops to vinegar-based salad dressings or chicken marinades to balance the oils and add a zippy finish

• Add depth to whiskey sours, cider, hot cocoa, or fizzes by replacing a portion of your liquid flavorings with a tiny drop of bitters

• Add to yogurt, oatmeal, or smoothies for a refreshing morning zest

• Elevate fish dishes with its bright notes, enhancing the natural flavors

• Enhance mousses, sorbets, or custards

• Grilled chicken, pork or seafood, or adding to pasta or potatoes when added to a light sauce

• Turn it into an Asian-styled dressing for vegetables, noodle bowls, pork chops, scallop, mushroom or eggplant skewers, potstickers, spring rolls, or stir fries by mixing in a bit of sesame oil, miso paste or peanut butter and honey

• Mix with olive oil and use as a dip for baguette, as a sauce for pasta, or to marinate goat cheese or mozzarella, drizzle over grilled steak or fish, sauté prawns in a bit of it, or toss vegetables in this oil after blanching

• Add zing to store-bought mayo and other sauces

• By combining orange bitters with brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic, a sweet and sour glaze is created, perfectly complementing the rich flavor of the pork.

• Mojito, margarita, smoothie, ginger ale, green tea, orange and soda

• Orange bars, sugar cookies, cupcakes, pound cake, macarons, cheesecake, chiffon cake

• Great for beer or fruit wines. Making a Mexican Orange Lager clone? This will get you that Orange Flavor. Making a Orange Wine just missing a little bit of Lime Flavor? This will boost that flavor.  For brewing start with adding 1 oz of flavoring per 1 gallon of your beer or wine. From there you may add until you are happy with the taste.  If you are bottling, add to the beer when you add the priming sugar.  If you are kegging, add when the beer is poured into the keg.  If you are using with wine, add to bottle-ready wine in the fermenter about 1 week before it is bottled. Make sure to stir gently.