Orange Bitters
Orange bitters are bitter orange peel and spices steeped in strong spirit: Angostura’s is 28% ABV on a retailer listing and The Bitter Truth’s 39% on its maker’s site; our facts panel and recipe units take 40%. Dashed into stirred drinks of gin, sherry and vermouth, they add peel and a dry finish where Angostura’s clove would weigh the drink down.
Quick Facts
Store sealed at room temperature away from direct sunlight. High alcohol content ensures long shelf stability.
None of the 14 listed allergens. Recipes vary by brand: check the bottle.
About Orange Bitters
Flavour Profile
Primary Flavours
Tasting Notes
Aromatic and citrus-forward with pronounced bitter orange peel, subtle spice, and a clean, lightly bitter finish. Brighter and lighter than aromatic bitters.
The bottles differ more than the name suggests
Every orange bitters starts from bitter orange peel in strong spirit, but strength, sweetness and spice change from one maker to the next. Some add sugar, some lean on cardamom, some finish with bitter bark. Our facts panel and recipe units take 40%, near the middle of the range.
Three common orange bitters (strengths from a retailer listing and The Bitter Truth’s site; background from the Oxford Companion, a secondary source, and Angostura’s own site)
Angostura Orange
- ABV
- About 28%
- Leads with
- Orange peel and spice
- Background
- Angostura’s first innovation in almost 200 years, by its own account
The Bitter Truth Orange
- ABV
- 39%
- Leads with
- Orange peel, cardamom, caraway
- Background
- German; sugar listed by the maker
Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6
- ABV
- Not confirmed
- Leads with
- Dried peel, rooty spice, a bitter bark finish
- Background
- Created by Gary Regan with Sazerac Co. in 2005, by the Oxford Companion’s account
| Bottle | ABV | Leads with | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angostura Orange | About 28% | Orange peel and spice | Angostura’s first innovation in almost 200 years, by its own account |
| The Bitter Truth Orange | 39% | Orange peel, cardamom, caraway | German; sugar listed by the maker |
| Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6 | Not confirmed | Dried peel, rooty spice, a bitter bark finish | Created by Gary Regan with Sazerac Co. in 2005, by the Oxford Companion’s account |
Orange where clove would crowd the drink
Our recipes reach for orange bitters when the base is delicate or already spiced. The Bamboo and Adonis use them to join sherry to vermouth; the Alaska and Vancouver use them because the Chartreuse or Bénédictine has spice enough. The Martinez takes two dashes, the IBA’s count, and the Ford Cocktail three.
Often beside Angostura, not instead of it
Six of our recipes take one dash of orange and one of Angostura. The Pegu Club puts orange peel at the front and clove behind, and the Black Manhattan uses the orange to lift the peel already in its Averna. Two dashes of the same flavour would only make the drink louder; one of each gives it depth.
Years on the shelf, with the peel fading first
In our experience an opened bottle is good for years on a cupboard shelf, with no need for the fridge. Citrus oil is the most fragile part, so a bottle loses its brightness before its bitterness. Smell it now and then; when the peel has gone flat, replace it.
Using Orange Bitters
Usage
Two dashes is the common count, from the Martinez to the Bijou; three in a Ford Cocktail or a Tuxedo, where they brighten vermouth. One dash beside a dash of Angostura when a drink wants peel at the front and spice behind.
Pro Tip
When a stirred gin or sherry drink tastes thin, add one dash of orange bitters before changing the ratio. The peel fills the gap between the spirit and the wine.
Top Tips
- Pick a bottle by strength as well as taste. A 28% orange bitters reads softer, dash for dash, than a 39% one.
- Keep orange and aromatic bitters clearly labelled. Through brown glass they are easy to confuse.
- In a drink with sherry or dry vermouth, reach for orange before aromatic; the clove buries a delicate wine.
- Try two brands mixed in one dasher bottle if one tastes too sweet and another too pithy.
Possible Substitutions
- Orange: A strip of peel expressed over the drink: the oil without the bitterness
- Grapefruit Bitters: Sharper citrus with a hop edge; changes the aroma
Production Method
Spirit flavoured with bitter orange peel and spices such as cardamom, caraway and coriander, with gentian or other bitter roots; some brands add sugar. Recipes and strengths differ by brand.
History & Context
Orange bitters season several of the nineteenth-century recipes we publish, Kappeler’s Ford Cocktail among them. The Oxford Companion, a secondary source, says Gary Regan, inspired by Charles H. Baker Jr.’s 1939 recipe, started making his own orange bitters and in 2005 teamed up with Sazerac Co. to produce Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6. Angostura’s own site says it launched its orange bitters worldwide as the company’s first innovation in almost 200 years.
More to explore
Common Questions
What are orange bitters?
Orange bitters or Angostura: which do I need?
How strong are orange bitters?
Which cocktails use orange bitters?
What can I use instead of orange bitters?
Why do brands of orange bitters taste so different?
Do orange bitters go off?
Sources.
Checked between 16 October and 19 October 2026.
- DrinkSupermarket, “Angostura Orange Bitters 100ml” (retailer listing: 28% ABV).
- The Bitter Truth, “Orange Bitters”.
- The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (David Mahoney), “orange bitters” (secondary source: Regans’ Orange Bitters no. 6 with Sazerac Co. in 2005, inspired by Charles H. Baker Jr.’s 1939 recipe; Angostura’s orange bitters followed).
- IBA, “Martinez”.
- Angostura, “Our Story” (producer’s own page: orange bitters launched worldwide as the company’s first innovation in almost 200 years).
Made with Orange Bitters
Featured In These Cocktails
Often Used With
Updated 19 October 2026