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Citrus Bitters

By Nicole Konstantinakos

Published on November 18, 2020

Yield

Makes about 16 ounces

Citrus Bitters

Ingredients

24 (3-inch) strip sour orange zest (3 oranges)8 (3-inch) strips lemon zest 2 tablespoons (½ ounce) quassia bark chips 1½ teaspoons coriander seeds 16 ounces 100-proof vodka 2 ounces Simple Syrup

Before You Begin

 Sour oranges (also known as Seville, bigarade, bitter, or marmalade oranges) can be found in Latin American and Caribbean grocery stores. If you can't find them, substitute the zest of a sweet orange variety (such as navel). If you can't find 100-proof vodka, substitute 80-proof vodka, but add 1 week to the infusion time. You can purchase quassia bark chips online or in specialty spice shops. You will need a quart-size jar with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.

Instructions

  1.  Place orange zest, lemon zest, quassia bark chips, and coriander seeds in quart-size jar. Add vodka, cover, and shake to combine. Store jar in cool, dark place for 1 week, shaking mixture once every other day.
  2.  Set fine-mesh strainer in medium bowl and line with triple layer of cheesecloth. Strain vodka through prepared strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Return infused vodka mixture to clean jar and add syrup. Cover and shake gently to combine. (Citrus Bitters can be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 year.)
Citrus Bitters
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Elle Simone.

Citrus Bitters

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Yield

Makes about 16 ounces

Ingredients

24 (3-inch) strip sour orange zest (3 oranges)
8 (3-inch) strips lemon zest
2 tablespoons (½ ounce) quassia bark chips
1½ teaspoons coriander seeds
16 ounces 100-proof vodka
2 ounces Simple Syrup

Ingredients

24 (3-inch) strip sour orange zest (3 oranges)
8 (3-inch) strips lemon zest
2 tablespoons (½ ounce) quassia bark chips
1½ teaspoons coriander seeds
16 ounces 100-proof vodka
2 ounces Simple Syrup

Ingredients

24 (3-inch) strip sour orange zest (3 oranges)
8 (3-inch) strips lemon zest
2 tablespoons (½ ounce) quassia bark chips
1½ teaspoons coriander seeds
16 ounces 100-proof vodka
2 ounces Simple Syrup

Why This Recipe Works

To create our superfragrant Citrus Bitters, we settled on a combination of fresh sour orange zest (with its exquisitely floral aromas) and lemon. Quassia bark provided the backbone of clean, piney bitterness, and some grassy, lightly floral coriander seeds rounded out the citrus flavors.

Before You Begin

 Sour oranges (also known as Seville, bigarade, bitter, or marmalade oranges) can be found in Latin American and Caribbean grocery stores. If you can't find them, substitute the zest of a sweet orange variety (such as navel). If you can't find 100-proof vodka, substitute 80-proof vodka, but add 1 week to the infusion time. You can purchase quassia bark chips online or in specialty spice shops. You will need a quart-size jar with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.

Instructions

  1.  Place orange zest, lemon zest, quassia bark chips, and coriander seeds in quart-size jar. Add vodka, cover, and shake to combine. Store jar in cool, dark place for 1 week, shaking mixture once every other day.
  2.  Set fine-mesh strainer in medium bowl and line with triple layer of cheesecloth. Strain vodka through prepared strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Return infused vodka mixture to clean jar and add syrup. Cover and shake gently to combine. (Citrus Bitters can be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 year.)

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