Cocktails with Orange bitters
Orange bitters is a concentrated cocktail bitters flavored with orange peel — often bitter Seville orange — over a base of spices like cardamom, coriander and caraway.
ABV28–44%Varying by brand; some modern versions use vegetable glycerin instead and are alcohol-free. Either way the dose is a few dashes, so it barely affects the drink’s strength.
How it's used
Used as a seasoning, not a base: a dash or two wakes up a spirit-forward drink with citrus lift and light bitterness. It’s the second bottle after Angostura in most bars, and the one that makes a dry Martini or an Old Fashioned read brighter without adding sweetness.
Substitutes for Orange bitters
Another brand of orange bitters swaps dash for dash, though the flavor differs by brand. Without any, twist a strip of orange peel over the drink: it gives the orange aroma, though not the bitterness. Angostura or another aromatic bitters, dash for dash, keeps the bitterness but adds warm spice instead of citrus and tints a clear drink. You can also leave it out; the drink will just taste plainer.
Aromatic bitters (e.g. Angostura)
Gentian bitters flavored mainly with spices.
Regans’ No. 6 and Fee Brothers West Indian Orange
Two widely sold bottles that taste different: Regans’ is sharply bitter with a strong cardamom note, while Fee Brothers’ is softer and slightly sweet.
