ORANGE CACAO BITTERS
ORANGE CACAO BITTERS
EACH 2 OZ BOTTLE MAKES BETWEEN 50 and 80 COCKTAILS or SODAS
These new bitters are clean and focused, serious and flamboyant; they’re clearly our best work yet and represent years of honing. They are very simple compared to other Workhorse Rye bitters: we picked oranges in Oakland, cut them whole and macerated them with our rye and cane spirit, bitter roots, and whole cacao from Dandelion Chocolate. After aging for almost a year, they are potent and ready for your glasses!
THE MAKING OF ORANGE CACAO BITTERS
As always, we start with house distilled spirits made from regeneratively/organically grown plants, and we macerate with whole botanicals with that high proof spirit.
Uniquely we don’t add colors, sugars, or water to our bitters.
These bitters are a result of years of collaborative learning, nerdery, and friendship. Oakland bartender/multi-displinarian Tyler Vogel, a long time pourer and mixer of Workhorse Rye spirits at the hallowed hospitality institution Camino, joined distiller Rob Easter to push the established Workhorse Rye cacao bitters line into new territory.
Based on rye (CA) and cane (MEX) distilled in house, cacao sourced in Ecuador (Camino Verde) and light-roasted by Dandelion Chocolate, whole organic Valencia oranges grown in the Oakland hills, dandelion root, milk thistle, marshmallow root, cinnamon, gentian root, + sea salt.
These bitters are fantastic for digestion, for that purpose enjoy them in cold soda water. As for cocktails, you’ll find these bitters play VERY well with MANY others.
Whole cacao fruit pods being assessed for process in Ecuador at Camino Verde.
MIXING WITH ORANGE CACAO BITTERS
THE BAMBOO COCKTAIL - a riff on the classic LOW ABV aperitif
3 parts - sparkling wine, ideally any natural wine with full spectrum flavor from Pét-Nat to Cava
1 part - sherry, amontillado is the classic choice
4 dashes - Orange Cacao Bitters
Stir with ice and strain into chilled glass or serve on the rocks.
The natural bubbly wine which is sub’d in for blanc vermouth offers interesting body and, depending on the wine, perceived sweetness which is welcome in this cocktail. The classic recipe calls for Orange Bitters AND aromatic bitters; replacing that combo with just the Orange Cacao Bitters in grander quantity adds a lot of depth and savoriness to this low ABV yet high impact sipper.
DRY MARTINI
dash or two - orange cacao bitters
1 part - dry vermouth
2 parts - gin or genever
Stir with ice and strain into an adorable and small chilled glass or be a renegade by drinking it on the rocks.
Many Martini recipes call for savory additions such as olives. The cacao profile here offers nutty depth to this beloved cocktail while not overwhelming it with “chocolate flavor”* and the salinity of the bitters makes their purpose here multifaceted. No need for a citrus twist since we already crammed a ton of oranges into the bitters!
*special note: there is no such thing as the Chocolate Martini. That, is a chocolate milkshake and thanks a lot for that TGI FRIDAY’s et all.
THE SPAGHETTI WESTERN
1 dash - Orange Cacao Bitters
3⁄4 oz - Amaro Nonino
1 oz - Tequila
1⁄2 oz - Mezcal
1 - grapefruit twist as garnish
Stir to preferred dilution with ice and strain into chilled glass with rocks.
These bitters are delicious in the Spaghetti Western by Jessica Gonzalez of Death & Co. Her original and delicious cocktail calls for orange bitters but we also think the extra depth and gentle bitterness from the light-roasted cacao gives a fun balance to this drink.
A MANHATTAN-TYPE COCKTAIL - by Oakland, CA bartender and bitters maker Tyler Vogel
1-2 dashes - Orange Cacao Bitters
1/2 oz - fino sherry
1/2 oz - aperitif wine
1.5 oz - Calvados or Palehorse Rye Whiskey
STIR with ice, strain into chilled glass.
Cacao on drying mats in Ecuador at Camino Verde, post-fermentation, pre-roasting.