Showcasing Orange Bitters

[mkayahara]

When I was trying to show off the genius of orange bitters to a friend, I used a variation of the Abbey, though it was only accidentally a variation; I had mis-remembered the recipe.

1.5 oz. gin

3/4 oz. Lillet blanc

3/4 oz. orange juice

2 dashes orange bitters

Shake and strain.

I was using the Fee Brothers' bitters, but I imagine it would work pretty well with Regan's, too.

[thirtyoneknots]

One of my favorites is the Bijou, which while not exactly showcasing orange bitters (though it is a wonderful showcase for Chartreuse), is an example of a drink where they are sorely missed if omitted. I have left them out by accident before and upon adding them, it tasted like a completely different drink. It is also one of the drinks where I always reach for ther Regans' bitters if I have them, though The Bitter Truth works decently as well (and are my choice for general pupose use).

Bijou:

3/4 oz Gin (I like Boodles in this one)

3/4 oz Green Chartreuse

3/4 oz Italian Vermouth

1-2 dashes Orange Bitters

Stir and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

It's a fairly rich drink along the lines of a Negroni, but sometimes thats what you need.

-Andy

[Kent Wang]

Isn't that also a Tailspin? I wonder which is the proper name.

[eje]

Isn't that also a Tailspin? I wonder which is the proper name.

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Depends on how picky you are.

Bijou is usually written as equal parts gin, vermouth, and green chartreuse.

Tailspin is a slightly drier drink, with a larger proportion of gin, and equal parts of vermouth and green chartreuse.

Same ingredients in both, I have to admit I'm a bit partial to the lighter proportions of the Tailspin.

[thirtyoneknots]

Drinkboy.com lists them as identical save for the Tailspin having a dash of Campari in lieu of the orange bitters, which to my taste gets lost in the mix unless a fairly heavy dash is used, but then you have an even richer drink. Drinks like the Bijouspin or Negroni are so sensitive to preportion changes, far more than most drinks, that you could really call them something else if you change them like that. Even adding slightly more gin to one those drinks, while still good, changes them so much you might guess different compositions if tasting them blindly. I like them with equal parts, as I feel this best showcases the Chartreuse or Campari, I just don't want one every day.

-Andy

[Nathan]

Drinkboy.com lists them as identical save for the Tailspin having a dash of Campari in lieu of the orange bitters, which to my taste gets lost in the mix unless a fairly heavy dash is used, but then you have an even richer drink. Drinks like the Bijouspin or Negroni are so sensitive to preportion changes, far more than most drinks, that you could really call them something else if you change them like that. Even adding slightly more gin to one those drinks, while still good, changes them so much you might guess different compositions if tasting them blindly. I like them with equal parts, as I feel this best showcases the Chartreuse or Campari, I just don't want one every day.

-Andy

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fwiw, the Negroni is made in varying proportions in Italy and it's always still called a Negroni so long as the three ingredients stay the same. (this makes sense....use Carpano Antica and you really have to dial down the vermouth...its so rich....the gin used can change this as well)....further, Italian bartenders often freepour the Negroni and don't seem too concerned with getting the proportions even.

[slkinsey]

Bijou is usually written as equal parts gin, vermouth, and green chartreuse.

Tailspin is a slightly drier drink, with a larger proportion of gin, and equal parts of vermouth and green chartreuse.

Interesting. That's the opposite of the way they're listed in cocktailDB, which has the Tailspin at more or less equal parts (1 gin, 3/4 each sweet vermouth and Chartreuse) and Bijou drier and more gincentric (1.5 gin and 1/2 each sweet vermouth and Chartreuse).

Drinks like the Bijouspin or Negroni are so sensitive to preportion changes, far more than most drinks, that you could really call them something else if you change them like that.

This is the rub, I think. Especially drinks that feature strong herbal flavors change dramatically when the proportions change. Equal parts of of gin, vermouth and Campari is simply not the same as a drink with 2 ounces of gin and a half ounce each of the other ingredients.

fwiw, the Negroni is made in varying proportions in Italy and it's always still called a Negroni so long as the three ingredients stay the same.  (this makes sense....use Carpano Antica and you really have to dial down the vermouth...its so rich....the gin used can change this as well)....further, Italian bartenders often freepour the Negroni and don't seem too concerned with getting the proportions even.

I'm not so sure it makes any difference how Italian bartenders are making this drink these days, since Italy is hardly a cocktail culture -- and, of course, even back here in the birthplace of the cocktail, there are plenty of drinks made with what most of us would agree are incorrect proportions or formulae.

I do agree with your general premise that the proportions can and do change somewhat in order to balance the drink properly for the ingredients used. One shouldn't slavishly adhere to an "equal parts Negroni" simply because that's the formula. Nevertheless, the idea is to balance the drink in such a way that it still retains its "Negroni character." Even using Carpano Antica Formula, IMO a 4:1:1 ratio would result in a drink that wouldn't have the right character.

Edited June 7, 2007 by slkinsey (log)

[Nathan]

I'm not so sure it makes any difference how Italian bartenders are making this drink these days, since Italy is hardly a cocktail culture -- and, of course, even back here in the birthplace of the cocktail, there are plenty of drinks made with what most of us would agree are incorrect proportions or formulae.

I do agree with your general premise that the proportions can and do change somewhat in order to balance the drink properly for the ingredients used.  One shouldn't slavishly adhere to an "equal parts Negroni" simply because that's the formula.  Nevertheless, the idea is to balance the drink in such a way that it still retains its "Negroni character."  Even using Carpano Antica Formula, IMO a 4:1:1 ratio would result in a drink that wouldn't have the right character.

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for sure...but Italy wasn't a cocktail culture when the Negroni was created either. I question whether it was once perfectly measured 1:1:1 and is now varied do the sloppiness of current bartenders...I've got a feeling that it always varied. agreed that a 4:1:1 wouldn't taste much like a Negroni...but I've certainly run across approximate 2:2:1's (with Carpano) and 1:2:1's and 2:1:1's, etc...

[slkinsey]

This is going astray from the topic of this thread, but I have the feeling that most classic cocktails originating in countries that don't have much of a cocktail culture were developed to serve globetrotting Americans (indeed, most of Italy's restaurant culture was geared towards foreigners until after WW II).

[eje]

Bijou is usually written as equal parts gin, vermouth, and green chartreuse.

Tailspin is a slightly drier drink, with a larger proportion of gin, and equal parts of vermouth and green chartreuse.

Interesting. That's the opposite of the way they're listed in cocktailDB, which has the Tailspin at more or less equal parts (1 gin, 3/4 each sweet vermouth and Chartreuse) and Bijou drier and more gincentric (1.5 gin and 1/2 each sweet vermouth and Chartreuse).

[...]

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Again, it's really too bad the cocktaildb doesn't include the source citations for the recipes on its web pages. It would be nice to know where that recipe came from.

As far as I know, The Savoy Cocktail Book is the earliest source for the Bijou cocktail, and in that book it is: 1/3 Plymouth Gin, 1 Dash Orange Bitters, 1/3 Green Chartreuse, and 1/3 Gancia Italian Vermouth. Stir & Strain. Cherry or Olive garnish. Squeeze lemon peel on top.

Both Robert Hess and Dale DeGroff* make it to those proportions on their websites, so that is good enough for me.

Dunno where the Tailspin comes from. It's not in the Savoy or Duffy's "Official Mixer's Manual". Anyone got a source?

*Though Mr. DeGroff does include the option of making it to drier proportions on his website: "Note: For a dryer version use 2 oz. of gin and only half ounce each of Orange Curacao and Dry Vermouth"

Edited June 7, 2007 by eje (log)

[thirtyoneknots]

"Note: For a dryer version use 2 oz. of gin and only half ounce each of Orange Curacao and Dry Vermouth"

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Curacao? O_o Where'd that come from? I guess careless editing from the previous recipe (which is also bizarre).

As far as how they're made in Italy; I don't doubt that they are made in every which way, and the drinks are almost always still good when you alter the preportions, but it's kind of tricky to say 'well its made in way X where it was invented, so thats right.' If an American bartender tops off an Old-fashioned with soda, is then an accaptable way to make the drink? It is, after all, an American creation. You can of course continue on with "cherry" syrup in Manhattans, etc. Hell some of my co-workers can't even properly execute drinks that were invented at the exact place where they work!

-Andy

[Nathan]

"Note: For a dryer version use 2 oz. of gin and only half ounce each of Orange Curacao and Dry Vermouth"

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Curacao? O_o Where'd that come from? I guess careless editing from the previous recipe (which is also bizarre).

As far as how they're made in Italy; I don't doubt that they are made in every which way, and the drinks are almost always still good when you alter the preportions, but it's kind of tricky to say 'well its made in way X where it was invented, so thats right.' If an American bartender tops off an Old-fashioned with soda, is then an accaptable way to make the drink? It is, after all, an American creation. You can of course continue on with "cherry" syrup in Manhattans, etc. Hell some of my co-workers can't even properly execute drinks that were invented at the exact place where they work!

-Andy

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well, my contention is that to the best of my knowledge the Negroni has always been made to varying proportions in Italy...in other words, the Negroni came about because someone combined those three ingredients...it doesn't appear to have a set ratio from the beginning. that's different than later bartenders adding extraneous ingredients to the Old Fashioned (though there is a legitimate dispute on that...the earliest Old Fashioneds may have had a muddled orange slice)...

Edited June 7, 2007 by Nathan (log)

[alacarte]

Orange bitters mixed with tonic or seltzer is a nice combo on days when you don't feel like alcohol.