Cocktail Bitters 101: How To Make the Most Out of Orange Bitters

The best bitters are infused with roots, spices, bark, fruits, and nuts, adding flavor, balance, and complexity to cocktails. Cocktail bitters are available in stores in various packages. Given their potency, you need a few drops to impart flavor and complexity to your cocktail.

Cocktail Bitters 101: How To Make the Most Out of Orange Bitters
[image: allthebitter]

Bitters date to the 1800s, being used in cocktails and medical prescriptions. In the medical field, they relieve digestive problems and calm nerves and headaches. However, in the 1920s, they neared extinction due to prohibition and medical advances, but the craft cocktail boom revived their usefulness.

Many brands, including All The Bitter, have created multiple flavors after the bitter revival in the 2000s. Orange bitters are among the most popular; read on to learn how to make the most out of the orange bitter flavor.

How All The Bitter Orange Flavor Was Born

The orange bitters were developed after two sommeliers, Carly and Ian, who met at The French Laundry, a three-Michelin star restaurant in Napa Valley.  A few years after their meeting, the gentlemen scraped alcohol from their plan and switched their attention to serving and enjoying tasty nonalcoholic drinks. It is in this pursuit that they birthed the All The Bitter.

What Is Contained In A Drop Of Bitter?

The orange bitters' flavor comes from the dry zest of bitter orange peels. Other ingredients include cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom, coriander seeds, and caraway.

Getting The Most From You Bitter

The orange bitters serve as seasoning for your drink. You only need to add a few drops to your soda and transform it into a festive beverage. The bitters contain three orange peel varieties, cardamom, lemon balm, and coriander, an excellent addition to Negroni or Mai Tai. You can also add your bitters to wheat beer or iced tea.

How To Serve Your Bitter

Cocktail recipes will call for a dash of bitters, comprising 6-8 drops. To serve your bitter, add a few droppers to water and then to your wine or beer for an instant flavor boost. Depending on your bottle, you can splash or put drops of your bitter into your preferred drink. These bottles include:

Plastic Dasher

The plastic dasher is a common method of distributing bitters. A few drops will come out when you tip the dasher upside down. Most bitter bottles feature this style.

Eyedropper

The eyedropper allows you to control the drops of bitters to use. You can add a drop or fill the dropper and dash.

Spray Nozzle

The spray nozzle is the least used method of dashing bitter. This option lets you spray mist on the bitters instead of drops. The Spray Nozzle is a popular method in cocktail bars featuring creative menus, but you can also try it at home.

Boost Your Cocktails With Orange Bitters

Spicing up your drink can turn an ordinary flavor into a fantastic refreshment. You can achieve this transformation through bitters with just a few drops. The bitters are a great addition to alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. Therefore, if you have yet to get a fun flavor, you can start with citrus flavors and build your collection based on inspiration.