Orange Bittters are an essential ingredient for many classic cocktails. Made from the dried peel of unripe sour or bitter oranges steeped in gin or grain alcohol, the orange character and supporting spices add depth and a subtle flavor with just a few dashes. Bitters became hard to find after 1906 following the Food and Drug Act because their medicinal properties could no longer be proven. Thanks to the cocktail renaissance, this ingredient is back in production, and at the same time, many bartenders are choosing to make their own. Popular brands include Regan's Orange Bitters #6, Fee Brothers, The Bitter Truth, and Angostura Orange Bitters.
Try it in:
The Martinez adapted by Jamie Boudreau
2 oz. gin (try Plymouth)
1 oz. sweet vermouth (try Cinzano)
1/4 oz. maraschino liqueur
1 dash Regan's orange bitters
1 dash Fee's orange bitters
Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice until the glass starts to frost. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass; garnish with a citrus twist.