Cocktail Bitters: What They Are, How Strong, What a Dash Is

Bitters

Cocktail bitters are strong spirit steeped with bitter roots, barks, peels and spices, bottled at anything from about 28 to 53% ABV and added a dash at a time. Angostura, the bottle most recipes mean, is 44.7% on retailer listings. A dash is a little under a millilitre, so bitters bring aroma and a dry edge to a drink rather than alcohol, and in our experience one bottle lasts for years.

Quick Facts

ABV44.7% ABVAngostura, the usual bottle, is 44.7% on a retailer listing; others run from 28% (Angostura Orange, retailer listing) to 53% (Bittermens Xocolatl Mole, by Difford’s Guide).

Legal categorySpirit drink

Our keeping timeYears once opened, capped and out of the light.

Storage

Capped, upright and out of the light. No fridge needed.

The ingredient

About Bitters

Strong in the bottle, slight in the glass

Bitters are made by steeping bitter and aromatic ingredients in strong spirit: gentian root, citrus peel, barks and spices, with water and sometimes sugar or caramel colour added before bottling. Most sit between about 28 and 53% ABV, which makes the stronger ones more potent than most gin. The dose is what makes that usable. A dash is a little under a millilitre, so two dashes add around 0.07 of a UK unit while changing how the whole drink smells and finishes.

Three bottles cover nearly every recipe we publish

Aromatic bitters appear in 58 of our recipes, nearly always as Angostura. Orange bitters appear in 27 and Peychaud’s in five. The rest are specialists: chocolate and mole bitters season a few whiskey and agave drinks, while celery and grapefruit bitters are for drinks you build yourself.

The bitters styles, with a typical bottle for each (strengths from retailer listings, Amathus, Difford’s Guide and The Bitter Truth’s own site; recipe counts ours)

Aromatic

Typical bottle and strength: Angostura, 44.7%
Leads with: Clove, cinnamon, gentian
Our recipes: 58

Orange

Typical bottle and strength: Angostura Orange, 28%; The Bitter Truth Orange, 39%
Leads with: Bitter orange peel, cardamom
Our recipes: 27

Peychaud’s

Typical bottle and strength: Peychaud’s, 35%
Leads with: Anise, cherry
Our recipes: 5

Chocolate

Typical bottle and strength: The Bitter Truth Chocolate, 44%
Leads with: Cacao, cinnamon, vanilla
Our recipes: 2

Mole

Typical bottle and strength: Bittermens Xocolatl Mole, 53%
Leads with: Cacao, cinnamon, spice
Our recipes: 1

Celery

Typical bottle and strength: The Bitter Truth Celery, 44%
Leads with: Celery, lemongrass, ginger
Our recipes: None yet

Grapefruit

Typical bottle and strength: The Bitter Truth Grapefruit, 44%
Leads with: Grapefruit peel, hops
Our recipes: None yet

Style	Typical bottle and strength	Leads with	Our recipes
Aromatic	Angostura, 44.7%	Clove, cinnamon, gentian	58
Orange	Angostura Orange, 28%; The Bitter Truth Orange, 39%	Bitter orange peel, cardamom	27
Peychaud’s	Peychaud’s, 35%	Anise, cherry	5
Chocolate	The Bitter Truth Chocolate, 44%	Cacao, cinnamon, vanilla	2
Mole	Bittermens Xocolatl Mole, 53%	Cacao, cinnamon, spice	1
Celery	The Bitter Truth Celery, 44%	Celery, lemongrass, ginger	None yet
Grapefruit	The Bitter Truth Grapefruit, 44%	Grapefruit peel, hops	None yet

Aperitif bitters are poured, cocktail bitters are dashed

The word also covers bitter liqueurs such as Campari, drunk by the measure and sweet enough to sip. Cocktail bitters are a seasoning, too concentrated to drink. A recipe that lists 25ml of a bitter means the first kind; one that lists dashes means the second.

One bottle lasts for years

In our experience the alcohol keeps bitters stable once opened, so they need no fridge: capped, upright and out of the light is enough. Light and air fade the aroma over time. Decanting into a bitters bottle with a dasher top makes every dash the same size, and a clear label stops aromatic and orange being confused through brown glass.

Using it

Using Bitters

Usage

Counted in dashes, never measured in millilitres. Two is the usual dose in a stirred drink of about 90ml, one where a liqueur already carries spice, and a few drops onto the foam of a sour. Add them with the other ingredients, before the ice.

Pro Tip

When a stirred drink tastes flat but nothing is obviously missing, add a single dash of bitters before reaching for more spirit or syrup. Taste again after a few seconds of stirring, because the aroma takes a moment to open.

Top Tips

Start with aromatic bitters, then orange. Between them they cover nearly every recipe we publish.
Decant into a bottle with a dasher top, for dashes of one size.
Add one dash fewer than you think, taste, then decide. A dash cannot be taken back out.
Read the label if anyone has a celery allergy. Celery bitters are made with it, and recipes change.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What are cocktail bitters?

Bitters are a concentrated flavouring: strong spirit in which bitter roots such as gentian, citrus peel, bark and spices have been steeped. They are added to a drink by the dash, so they season it the way salt seasons food, lifting the other flavours and drying the finish instead of standing out on their own.

Are bitters alcoholic?

Yes. Most bottles are 35 to 45% ABV, and some run higher: Difford’s Guide gives Bittermens Xocolatl Mole 53%. The dose keeps the alcohol small. Two dashes of Angostura come to about 1.6ml, around 0.07 of a UK unit, which barely moves the strength of a cocktail but still counts for anyone avoiding alcohol entirely.

How much is a dash of bitters?

A little under a millilitre, about 0.8ml, from a bottle with a dasher top turned fully over and flicked once. The maker’s own top can pour more or less depending on the angle and how full the bottle is, which is why recipes that lean on the count work better from a decanted dasher.

Do bitters make a drink taste bitter?

Not at the doses recipes use. Two dashes in a 90ml drink are under 2% of the volume, enough to cut sweetness and add spice or peel at the nose, but not enough to taste bitter. A drink that does taste of bitters has had too many, or a dasher that poured a stream.

What are aperitif bitters?

A different product. Aperitif bitters, such as Campari, are bitter liqueurs drunk by the measure, 25ml or more at a time, and sweet enough to sip. Cocktail bitters are far stronger in flavour, carry little sugar per dash and are never poured as a drink. Recipes that say “bitters” on their own mean the cocktail kind.

Do bitters go off?

Not in any way that makes them unsafe. At their strength we keep them for years once opened, capped and out of the light. The aroma fades slowly, and the bottle may darken or throw a little sediment; once the smell is faint, the bottle has lost its lift without spoiling, and it is time to replace it.

Which bitters should I buy first?

Aromatic bitters, which in practice means Angostura: 58 of our recipes call for it. Orange bitters come next, in 27, often beside Angostura in the same glass. Peychaud’s is the third bottle, for the New Orleans drinks. Chocolate, mole, celery and grapefruit bitters can wait until a recipe asks for them.

Do bitters contain allergens?

Most aromatic and fruit bitters declare none of the 14 allergens in Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, as retained in UK law, but celery bitters are made with celery, which is one of them. Some bitters contain sugar or caramel colour, and recipes change between batches, so check the label on the bottle you buy.

Sources.

Correct as of 16 October 2026.

DrinkSupermarket, “Angostura Aromatic Bitters 200ml” (retailer listing: 44.7% ABV).
DrinkSupermarket, “Angostura Orange Bitters 100ml” (retailer listing: 28% ABV).
Amathus Drinks, “Peychaud’s Bitters” (UK importer and retailer listing: 35% ABV).
Difford’s Guide, “Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters” (secondary source).
The Bitter Truth, “Chocolate Bitters”.
The Bitter Truth, “Orange Bitters”.
The Bitter Truth, “Original Celery Bitters”.
The Bitter Truth, “Grapefruit Bitters”.
legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II (retained)”.

From the Guides

Bitters and the other kitchen basics How bitters give a drink its backbone

Styles of bitters

Make something

Made with Bitters

Featured In These Cocktails

Green Swizzle

Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 16 October 2026

Back to Ingredients Guide