Orange bitters (Fancy Sour)

This is not the easiest ingredient to come by: you’ll need a top-shelf liquor store to get you this product. Or you’ll have to find your own way to a webshop that delves deep in the cocktail niche.

So yes, this is an ambitious ingredient. It’s a safe bet that anyone that stocks orange bitters is serious about making cocktails.

So do you want to be serious about making cocktails?

This is supposed to be a practical approach to cocktail making, so what is such a specialized ingredient doing in the bar?

Well, mainly because you’re better off stocking one bottle of orange bitters than a dozen different bottles of vague liqueurs that are hard to combine. You can play around with bitters, they are a solid part of cocktail history, they come in beautiful, small bottles and they don’t go bad easily - what could possibly be more practical than putting a small bottle in your bar to be recognized as a true hobby mixologist?

Okay, but why orange bitters instead of Peychaud’s bitters? Well, the Sazerac is my favourite cocktail, so that would be reason to choose for Peychaud’s. But it also contains three other ingredients that we don’t stock in the bar at the moment. Orange bitters open up more options right now. And there’s some real satisfaction in being able to make a Dry Martini like it used to be made, including being able to tell others about cocktail history.

Orange bitters went out of vogue after Prohibition. But since the recent cocktail revival, orange bitters have reappeared. There’s even choice now: there are several different brands of orange bitters, all with their own peculiar taste and wildly different in alcohol percentage.

One bottle is enough of a leap for now, however. Just go with whatever you can find or which bottle you think looks best.

Fancy Sour

This one can be made in the fancy way or in the casual way (as a scaffa, but with ice). I generally go for the casual version, if only as a break from the norm.

If you want to go the fancy way, you should shake instead of build the drink. Use a cocktail glass instead of an Old Fashioned glass. As a garnish, add an orange peel (if available).

A casual Fancy Sour is still a Fancy Sour, however.
Personally, I think this recipe is a real find.

2 parts sweet vermouth

1 part maraschino

1 part lemon juice

1 dash Angostura bitters

1 dash orange bitters

glass:  Old Fashioned glass

Build over ice into the glass. Give it a quick stir.

I picked up a mould for really large ice cubes that I’m quite happy with. That way, the drink will be cooled with limited dilution.