Orange bitters is a form of

bitters Bitters (plural also ''bitters'') is traditionally an alcoholic preparation flavored with botanical matter for a bitter or bittersweet flavor. Originally, numerous longstanding brands of bitters were developed as patent medicines, but now a ...

, a

cocktail A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely acr ...

flavoring made from such ingredients as the peels of

Seville oranges Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsul ...

cardamom Cardamom (), sometimes cardamon or cardamum, is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera ''Elettaria'' and ''Amomum'' in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. They are r ...

, caraway seed,

coriander Coriander (;

anise Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to Eurasia. The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such as star anise, fennel, licorice, and t ...

, and burnt sugar in an alcohol base. Orange bitters, which are not to be confused with the standard Angostura aromatic bitters, are currently enjoying a resurgence among cocktail enthusiasts. It is to be noted that the well-known House of Angostura is one of the producers of orange bitters. For many years, it was difficult to find orange bitters in the United States and elsewhere. Because of this, some cocktail recipes that traditionally contained orange bitters may now exclude that ingredient. Renowned mixologist Gary Regan created Regan's Orange Bitters (stylized and trademarked as Regans') in the 1990s. Regans' is bottled and sold by the

Sazerac Company Sazerac Company, Inc is a privately held American alcoholic beverage company headquartered in Metairie in the metropolitan area of New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , , Different orange bitters are sometimes mixed to hit the desired note. For example, a "Feegan's", often used in a

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...

, consists of an equal-parts mix of Fee Bros West India Orange Bitters and Regans' Orange Bitters No. 6. This is done to balance out the candy-like sweetness of Fee's and the heavy

note of Regans'. Orange bitters can also be made at home, allowing one to create new flavor profiles that are not available anywhere else. The process of making orange bitters takes several days. Drinks whose recipes can include orange bitters include the

Old Fashioned Old-fashioned may refer to: * Old fashioned (cocktail), a whiskey cocktail ** Old Fashioned glass, a type of drinking glass named after the cocktail * ''Old Fashioned'' (film), a 2015 film by Rik Swartzwelder * "Old-fashioned" (short story) a 19 ...

, the dry martini, and the revolver.

References

Spices Bitters Trade secrets {{mixed-drink-stub