Mixers

Orange Marmalade

Orange marmalade is a set preserve of citrus fruit, peel and sugar: under the Jam and Similar Products (England) Regulations 2003 it is made with at least 200g of citrus fruit to every kilo, and 60% or more of it is soluble solids, mostly sugar. In a drink one barspoon sweetens, adds bitter peel and gives body all at once, which is its job in our Breakfast Martini. We keep an opened jar for months in the fridge.

Quick Facts

Legal categoryFood

Flavour Strengthmedium

Our keeping timeOpened: months in the fridge.

Storage

Sealed, in a cool cupboard until the date on the jar. Once opened, we keep it in the fridge with the lid on and use a clean spoon each time.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens.

The ingredient

About Orange Marmalade

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

Bitter OrangePeelPreserved

Tasting Notes

Seville orange in winter form: sweetness carrying real peel bitterness and a cooked citrus depth fresh fruit cannot reach.

Marmalade is a citrus preserve with a legal minimum of fruit

In UK law marmalade is a set mixture of water, sugar and citrus fruit, with at least 200g of fruit to every kilo and 60% or more soluble solids (the Jam and Similar Products (England) Regulations 2003). Any citrus qualifies, so lime and grapefruit marmalades share the name. Orange marmalade is traditionally made from Seville oranges, the bitter kind, which is where its bite comes from.

It went into gin a century ago

The Oxford Companion says the Breakfast Martini was created in 1996 by Salvatore Calabrese at the Lanesborough hotel in London, and that its recipe is fairly similar to the Marmalade Cocktail in Harry Craddock’s Savoy Cocktail Book of 1930.

One spoon does the work of three ingredients

Bitter peel, pectin body and sugar arrive together, so they cannot be adjusted separately: a heavier spoon makes the drink sweeter, thicker and more bitter at once. In the Breakfast Martini the lemon juice and the orange liqueur carry the rest of the balance.

The three orange elements of a Breakfast Martini (marmalade minimums from the Jam and Similar Products (England) Regulations 2003; liqueur minimums from Regulation (EC) 110/2008)

What it is

Orange marmalade: Citrus fruit and peel set with sugar
Triple sec: Orange liqueur
Orange twist: A strip of fresh zest

Alcohol

Orange marmalade: None
Triple sec: At least 15% ABV, as a liqueur
Orange twist: None

Sugar

Orange marmalade: Soluble solids 60% or more, mostly sugar
Triple sec: At least 100g per litre, as a liqueur
Orange twist: None

Bitterness

Orange marmalade: Clear, from the peel
Triple sec: Little
Orange twist: A faint edge from the oil

Body

Orange marmalade: Thickens the drink
Triple sec: Slight
Orange twist: None

In the recipe

Orange marmalade: One barspoon
Triple sec: 15ml
Orange twist: Expressed and dropped in

	Orange marmalade	Triple sec	Orange twist
What it is	Citrus fruit and peel set with sugar	Orange liqueur	A strip of fresh zest
Alcohol	None	At least 15% ABV, as a liqueur	None
Sugar	Soluble solids 60% or more, mostly sugar	At least 100g per litre, as a liqueur	None
Bitterness	Clear, from the peel	Little	A faint edge from the oil
Body	Thickens the drink	Slight	None
In the recipe	One barspoon	15ml	Expressed and dropped in

Stir it loose before the ice goes in

Cold marmalade stiffens and leaves lumps in the tin. The Breakfast Martini stirs the spoonful into the gin and lemon juice first, until it loosens, then adds the triple sec and ice and shakes hard for 10 to 12 seconds. Fine or medium cut dissolves; thick-cut peel survives, so double strain.

Choose a jar with real bitterness and fine shreds of peel. Sealed, it keeps in the cupboard until its date; opened, we keep it in the fridge for months.

Using it

Using Orange Marmalade

Usage

One barspoon in the Breakfast Martini. It is loosened in the gin and lemon juice first, then shaken hard with the triple sec and ice, and double strained. Fine or medium cut dissolves; thick cut clogs the strainer.

Top Tips

Fine or medium cut dissolves; thick-cut peel survives the shake and blocks the strainer.
Loosen the spoonful in the spirit and citrus while the tin is still empty of ice; cold marmalade stays in lumps.
Taste the jar on a spoon first. If it reads as sweet orange with no bitterness, so will the drink.

Possible Substitutions

Orange Curaçao: plus a little lemon: brighter, less bitter, no body

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What does marmalade do in a cocktail?

It sweetens, bitters and thickens the drink from one spoon. The sugar and the set fruit give body, and the shreds of peel bring a bitter-orange edge. Because all three arrive together, a heavier spoon moves every one of them at once, so measure it level.

Which marmalade suits a Breakfast Martini?

A bitter Seville orange marmalade with fine or medium shreds of peel. The drink takes its character straight from the jar, so taste it first: one that reads as sweet orange jam makes a sweet drink. Thick-cut peel survives the shake and ends up in the strainer.

What drinks use orange marmalade?

Among our recipes, the Breakfast Martini: gin, triple sec, lemon juice and one barspoon. The idea is older than that drink. A gin, lemon and marmalade cocktail was in print by 1925, and Harry Craddock included one in his 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book.

Why does marmalade leave lumps in the strainer?

Thick-cut peel, or marmalade added cold straight to ice. Use a fine or medium cut, and work the spoonful into the gin and lemon juice before any ice reaches the shaker, since stiff, cold preserve will not loosen once the tin is chilled.

Is marmalade the same as jam?

Not under the Jam and Similar Products (England) Regulations 2003. Jam can be made from almost any fruit; the Jam and Similar Products (England) Regulations 2003 require marmalade to be made from citrus fruit, at least 200g to every kilo of the finished product. Both are set with sugar to 60% or more soluble solids, so either is sweet; marmalade is the one with bitter peel in it.

Can I use lime or three-fruit marmalade?

Yes, and the drink changes with it. Lime marmalade makes a sharper, greener Breakfast Martini; a three-fruit jar sits between that and orange. Both count as marmalade, because the name covers any citrus. Taste before you shake, and adjust the lemon juice if the jar is sweeter.

What can I use instead of marmalade?

Orange curaçao with a little extra lemon juice gives the orange and the sweetness but none of the body or bitter peel. A strip of orange peel shaken with the drink adds some bitterness back. Expect a lighter, cleaner drink than the original.

Does opened marmalade need to go in the fridge?

Yes, once opened, in our practice. The high sugar slows spoilage but does not stop mould on the surface, especially if a used spoon goes into the jar. We keep an opened jar chilled, lidded and served with a clean spoon for months; follow the date on the label.

Sources.

Checked between 17 October and 20 October 2026.

legislation.gov.uk, “The Jam and Similar Products (England) Regulations 2003, Schedule 1”.
The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (Jason Horn), “The Breakfast Martini” (secondary source: created in 1996 at the Lanesborough hotel in London by Salvatore Calabrese; similar to the Marmalade Cocktail in The Savoy Cocktail Book, 1930).
legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex II (as retained in UK law)”.

Make something

Made with Orange Marmalade

Featured In These Cocktails

Breakfast Martini

Often Used With

Updated 20 October 2026

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