Citrus Bitters
What are Citrus Bitters?
Citrus bitters are a vibrant category of Citrus & Fruit Bitters that capture the bright, zesty oils and aromatic compounds from citrus peels like orange, lemon, grapefruit, and lime. These bitters are defined by their ability to add sparkling acidity and fresh citrus notes to cocktails without the sweetness of juice or the bulk of fresh fruit. The defining characteristic of citrus bitters lies in their concentrated extraction of citrus oils and bitter compounds from the pith and peel, creating an intensely aromatic and slightly bitter flavor profile that brightens any drink.
Featured Citrus Bitters Recipes
The Right Stuff
Ingredients:
Directions:
- Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake for 10 seconds.
- Strain over ice into a rocks glass.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Strawberry Rum Smash
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe strawberries
- 2 oz white rum, like Foursquare Probitas
- .75 oz lime juice
- .5 oz orange liqueur, like Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao
- .5 oz simple syrup
- 2 dashes orange bitters
Directions:
- Remove the stems of your strawberries and add to a cocktail shaker along with your rum.
- Muddle with a muddler or a wooden spoon.
- Add lime juice, curacao, simple syrup and orange bitters.
- Add ice and shake for 30 seconds.
- Double strain into a glass with ice.
- Garnish with a lime wedge or strawberries!
Plum Cosmo 001
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz The Plum, I Suppose
- .75 oz Italicus Bergamot Liqueur
- .75 oz fresh lime juice
- 1.5 oz cranberry juice
- 1-2 dash Orange Bitters
- Orange zest and lime for garnish
Directions:
- All all ingredients to a shaker.
- Add ice and shake vigorously until very cold.
- Strain into a martini glass.
- Flame orange zest oils over the glass.
- Garnish with a lime wheel.
Rabo de Galo
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Abelha Cachaça Prata
- 0.75 oz Baldoria Rosso Vermouth
- 0.75 Cynar
- 2 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters
- Orange peel for garnish
Directions:
- Stir all the ingredients with ice.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Express oil rom an orange peel over your drink, and use as a garnish.
Catcher in the Rye
Ingredients:
Directions:
- Stir ingredients with ice.
- Strain into a rocks glass over a large cube.
- Garnish with an orange peel, if you’d like.
Catcher in the Rye
Ingredients:
Directions:
- Stir ingredients with ice.
- Strain into a rocks glass over a large cube.
- Garnish with an orange peel, if you’d like.
Pomegranate Fig Sour
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Mahia
- 1.5 oz pomegranate juice
- .25 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- .5 oz honey syrup*
- 1 egg white
- dash of orange bitters
- dash of Angostura bitters
- cinnamon stick
- fig and or apples slices to garnish
Directions:
- In a cocktail shaker without ice, add the Mahia, pom juice, lemon juice, and honey syrup.
- Then add an egg white, and the two bitters, according to your preference. (We like to go heavy on bitters!)
- Dry shake (still no ice) to fluff up the egg white.
- Add ice and shake again.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a fresh grating of cinnamon, ½ a fresh fig, and/or fresh apple slices.
Saramago
Ingredients:
- Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, as a rinse
- 2 oz Lalo Tequila Blanco
- .75 oz Baldoria Dry Vermouth
- .5 oz. St-Germain
- 1 dash orange bitters
- grapefruit twist, for garnish
Directions:
- Rinse your coupe with mezcal, then discard.
- Stir the rest of the ingredients on ice until very cold.
- Strain into prepared coupe.
- Express grapefruit twist over the drink and garnish with it.
Terrible Love
Ingredients:
Directions:
- Stir all the ingredients over ice.
- Strain into an, old-fashioned glass over one large-format ice cube.
- Garnish with the grapefruit twist.
Hot & Bothered
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Beefeater or another London Dry Gin
- 0.75 oz Barrow’s Intense Ginger Liqueur
- 0.5 oz Cointreau or another triple sec
- 2 dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
- 0.5 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir for 20 seconds.
- Pour into a martini glass.
- Rub a thin slice of blood orange around the rim of the glass and then place it in the drink.
Learn More About Citrus Bitters
What makes Citrus Bitters unique?
Citrus bitters stand apart from other fruit bitters through their bright, zesty punch that cuts through heavy spirits and adds complexity without overwhelming sweetness. While other fruit bitters often bring deep, jammy notes or exotic tropical flavors, citrus varieties deliver that essential acidic backbone that makes cocktails feel balanced and refreshing. The oils from citrus peels create an aromatic intensity that's both familiar and sophisticated, making these bitters the perfect bridge between classic aromatic bitters and more adventurous fruit expressions.
How are Citrus Bitters made?
Citrus bitters start with high-proof neutral grain spirit that's infused with dried citrus peels—think orange, lemon, lime, or grapefruit—along with complementary botanicals like gentian root, cinchona bark, or spices. The peels and aromatics steep in the alcohol for weeks or even months, extracting essential oils and bitter compounds through maceration. After straining out the solids, the concentrated liquid is often aged briefly to mellow before being diluted to bottling strength, typically around 35-45% ABV.
How do you drink Citrus Bitters?
Citrus bitters are never consumed neat or on the rocks—they're an ingredient, not a standalone drink, designed to add complexity and brightness to cocktails with just a few dashes. You'll find them working their magic in classic whiskey cocktails like Old Fashioneds and Manhattans, where they balance sweetness and add aromatic depth, as well as in gin-based drinks where their citrus notes complement botanical flavors. These versatile bitters shine year-round but are particularly wonderful in spring and summer cocktails when their fresh, zesty character pairs beautifully with lighter spirits and seasonal ingredients.
How do I choose good Citrus Bitters?
Start by considering which citrus profile matches your cocktail's personality - bright orange bitters work beautifully in whiskey sours and old fashioneds, while lemon bitters add sharp complexity to gin-based drinks, and grapefruit bitters bring a sophisticated edge to mezcal cocktails. Quality citrus bitters should smell vibrant and fresh rather than artificial or overly sweet, so give them a good sniff before buying. Your cocktail's base spirit matters too: lighter spirits like vodka and gin pair well with lemon or lime bitters, while darker spirits like bourbon and rum can handle the bolder flavors of orange or blood orange varieties.
Nutritional Information
Typical Calorie Range per Ounce: 8-15 calories
Typical Carbohydrate Range per Ounce: 1-3 grams
Typical Sugar Range per Ounce: 0-2 grams
Typically Gluten Free: Yes
Most citrus bitters are made from citrus peels, herbs, spices, and high-proof alcohol, making them naturally gluten-free. The minimal calories come primarily from the small amount of residual sugars and botanical extracts. Since you're typically using just a few dashes (about 1/8 teaspoon) in cocktails, the actual nutritional impact per drink is negligible.
Always check the detailed product information and ingredient list to confirm gluten-free status, especially if you have celiac disease or severe gluten sensitivity, as manufacturing processes and specific ingredients can vary between brands.
Scrolled this far? Your reward? Citrus Bitters Trivia!
- The original Angostura Orange Bitters recipe was actually lost for nearly 50 years. When the company tried to recreate it in the 1990s, they had to reverse-engineer their own product from old bottles, essentially becoming archaeological detectives of their own flavor profile. The "new" version they released might not even taste exactly like the original.
- Citrus bitters contain virtually no citrus juice whatsoever. Instead, they're made from the bitter white pith and aromatic oils found in citrus peels, which explains why they add complexity without making your cocktail taste like lemonade. The peels are dried, sometimes for months, before being macerated in high-proof alcohol.
- During Prohibition, citrus bitters were sold as "stomach medicine" in pharmacies, making them one of the few legal ways to add boozy complexity to your drinks. Some enterprising bartenders would create elaborate "medicinal" cocktails, claiming the bitters aided digestion while secretly crafting delicious libations.
- A single dash of citrus bitters contains approximately 44% alcohol by volume, but you're only using about 1/8 teaspoon. That tiny amount packs the aromatic punch equivalent to what you'd get from muddling an entire orange peel, thanks to the concentrated essential oils extracted during production.
- The famous "Trinidad Sour" cocktail uses a full ounce of Angostura bitters as the base spirit rather than just a few dashes. Created by bartender Giuseppe Gonzalez, this drink proved that bitters could star as the main ingredient, not just play a supporting role. It tastes nothing like you'd expect and has inspired a whole category of bitters-forward cocktails.
Higher-proof spirits can be intense. Mix carefully, taste thoughtfully, and enjoy responsibly.
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