Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6

[DrinkBoy]

I have it from the best authority, that "Regans' Orange Bitters #6" is now in production.

[JAZ]

Cool. Any idea what kind of distribution they'll have?

[Gary Regan]

Cool. Any idea what kind of distribution they'll have?

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Hi there: I'm just back from the Buffalo Trace Distillery in KY where I saw the first batch of bottles being filled and labeled. I must say that it's pretty weird to have your ugly mug on a commercial bottle. Especially when you no longer look like that (the beard's gone).

The guys at Sazerac (the company that owns Buffalo Trace) were just great to work with--really enthusiastic about the whole thing, and determined to pull it off, despite numerous problems with the ATF who kept kicking back the formula saying it was too "potable." (In order to get approved as a bitters which, in the USA, makes it a food product despite the 45% alcohol by volume, the bitters must be deemed to be non-potable by the ATF.)

The finished product, though, tastes, I think, better than my original formula for the Regans' Orange Bitters No. 4--this version, though very similar in style and taste, is more bitter, and more complex. I'd love to hear comments from anyone who tries it.

There was talk at the distillery of introducing the bitters to both the U.K., and Australia, and I think that that might happen soon, but I have no control over the marketing, etc. (There are 12 bottles to a case)

Meanwhile, you can order the bitters from the gift shop at www.buffalotrace.com . Click "gift shop," on "food" then on "mixes."

Here's a direct link to the item itself:

http://www.buffalotrace.com/giftshop/detai...MasterID=100113

For those of you who don't know this, the label was designed by none other than our own Dr. Cocktail, Ted Haigh. It's beauteous (apart from my face, of course )

Thanks, Robert, for posting this. This is all very exciting.

Cheers, Gary

[Gary Regan]

Cool. Any idea what kind of distribution they'll have?

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Ooopsie!

I just looked again at the bitters on the buffalo trace web site, where it says that the price is $3.50 for a 10-ounce bottle, but I'm pretty sure that they've bottled only 5-ounce bottles thus far, and $3.50 sounds like the price for 5 ounces to me. Just don't want anyone to be disappointed.

I've alerted B.T.

[slkinsey]

I pre-ordered some just now. Looking forward to it.

And glad to see you back around here. Don't stay away so long next time.

[mbrowley]

I pre-ordered some just now.  Looking forward to it.

And glad to see you back around here.  Don't stay away so long next time.

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I'm pleased to be sitting here in my back office with a five-ounce bottle of Regan's Orange Bitters No. 6 at my elbow. Gary, the good folks running distribution shot me a sample bottle that arrived today at the office. When I first began working for Di Bruno Bros. in Philadelphia, one of the popular house drinks once the hordes dispersed and the doors shut was a gin/tonic variant that substituted San Pelligrino's 'la rossa' (an italian blood-orange soda) for tonic and was always, always served with Tanqueray.

I've tweaked it by substituting a filtered vodka (using the fantastic Grey Kangeroo personal liquor filter) and topping with a heavy dash of the orange bitters.

The taste test of the bitters straight out of the bottle at the store among the drinkers came down heavy on the side of "ambrosial." We discussed its aroma, the color, the packaging, the uses, and the taste. Only the non-drinkers thought it was nasty. I suggested they float some on the top of their OJ and reevaluate.

After coming home, I poured two Di Bruno specials; one for me with the No. 6 formula and one without for the little mister. After he sampled each, two "with" quickly graced the dry sink.

Congratulations -- a delightful addition to the cocktailian's battery. Onliest suggestion? The taste testing was among seasoned culinary types, astute scholars of the table, and even hard-drinking ones asked "what do you do with it." Recipes -- on the label, online, in a press kit or promotional material, on a collar-tag -- might help folks understand just how great this stuff is and how to use it.

Here's my contribution:

Bloody, bitter orange vodka

1 part vodka (or 80-100 proof neutral spirits for all you home distillers)

1 part San Pellegrino "la rossa" blood orange soda

3-4 dashes of Regan's No. 6 orange bitters

Over ice in a collins glass. Step up and shake hands with 'sublime.'

Matthew

[slkinsey]

I am now looking at five ten (yes, ten) ounce bottles of Regans' Orange Bitters #6. Guess what I'll be doing tonight?

Now the only question is what to make... what to make... what to make...

[bergerka]

I am now looking at five ten (yes, ten) ounce bottles of Regans' Orange Bitters #6.  Guess what I'll be doing tonight?

Now the only question is what to make... what to make... what to make...

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Thank god I read this. I'm now off to line my stomach with carbs & protein in preparation.

K

[winesonoma]

Be very careful ordering from these people. My first shipment was damaged and the next was the wrong product. More later when I can actually talk to them.

[edsel]

Apparently the Buffalo Trace folks recently encountered some "glitches" in their web ordering system. I was informed that my order shipped after I had already received it. I was worried that they had double-shipped - I contacted them and they informed me of the teething pains in the system.

The bitters are absolutely fantastic, by the way.

[kvltrede]

I ordered two bigs for me and five smalls to be given as gifts to my cocktail-loving friends. The package arrived within days and was quite well-packaged. Unfortunately, somehow, the plastic cap had split on one of the 5 oz. bottles and the bitters had leaked out. Because of all the heavy paper used in wrapping the bottles there was surprisingly little mess. The best news though is that all it took was a quick email to the BTrace gift shop to get the bottle replaced. BTrace answered promptly and I expect to see the replacement next week.

A fine company and a great product. Congrats to Gary and a big thanks to Buffalo Trace.

Kurt

[edited for clarity]

Edited June 2, 2005 by kvltrede (log)

[Chris Amirault]

I'm bumping this up to report that I have just received four 10 oz bottles of this magical elixir from Buffalo Trace: hale, whole, and quickly received.

[M.X.Hassett]

Nice Chris, report on uses please. I ran out last night. Well time to make a trip to Pegu.

Thanks Gary for such a wonderful bitter I would have loved to have tasted some of the ATF deemed overly potable version.

[Chris Amirault]

I'm planning to make a martini tonight for starters with Plymouth and Noilly Prat. Feel free to suggest other ideas!

[M.X.Hassett]

I'm planning to make a martini tonight for starters with Plymouth and Noilly Prat. Feel free to suggest other ideas!

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Sounds like a good start. One of the better cocktails of late that I have had was the oulde bols genever, suger cube, O.Bitters, rocks. Sadly with the crap distribution of genevar not something you or I can replicate with much luck.

[Chris Amirault]

Tell me about it. You don't want to know how many stores I visited before sucking up and paying that hefty Buffalo Trace shipping charge.

[M.X.Hassett]

Tell me about it. You don't want to know how many stores I visited before sucking up and paying that hefty Buffalo Trace shipping charge.

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Not to go off topic but thats why you need to get down here to Pegu and M&H.

Edited January 25, 2006 by M.X.Hassett (log)

[Dave the Cook]

I'm planning to make a martini tonight for starters with Plymouth and Noilly Prat. Feel free to suggest other ideas!

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Three suggestions:

Bijou (from drinkboy.com)

Bitter Floridian

1 ounce gin

1 ounce white rum

1/2 ounce orange juice

1/4 ounce falernum

1/4 ounce lime juice

2 dashes orange bitters

Shake with ice and pour into a chilled cocktail glass.

Cropduster

2 ounces applejack (Laird's 100-proof bonded is even better)

0.5 ounces lemon juice

0.5 ounces maraschino liqueur

Dash orange bitters

Dash peach bitters (I use this pretty much just for effect; I don't think it adds a lot to the drink. You have dispensation to use two dashes of Regan's No. 6 instead.)

Shake with ice and pour into a chilled cocktail glass.

[Chris Amirault]

So I've never had a drink (knowingly) with orange bitters, and I now realize why there is such a fuss around here. I've just made my first perfect, blissful martini. Cheers.

[M.X.Hassett]

Cheers I raise my glass to you, Beefeater:NP, 3:1 sadly out of O. bitters.

[Marlene]

I'll be looking for this in NY this weekend! I've become rather fond of Manhattan's lately but I'd be interested in trying a martini with orange bitters.

[Snowy is dead]

I do a version of the old fashined with orange bitters

muddle:

lemon twist and orange slice with

1/2 oz. simple syrup

4 dashes orange bitters

add

2 oz. appleton 5yr

swirl to mix

add ice. yum.

[The Hersch]

For those of you somewhere near Washington DC, Calvert-Woodley now carries Regan's Orange Bitters, although last I checked they have only the smaller-sized bottle. They also, I believe, still carry Collins organge bitters, and I find it mind-boggling that I used to think that that's what orange bitters were all about. That stuff is nasty.

[mbrowley]

I dote on Fee Bros orange and always have a few bottles knocking around, but Regan's Orange No. 6 is brilliant.

My old copy of the Savoy Cocktail Book described a Pegu Club. Tried it a few years back and wasn't blown away. Dave Wondrich, though, gave the drink some new attention in Esquire Drinks and I fell in love once the proportions were tweaked and we broke out Regan's

Here's what's been keeping the Rowley house toasty recently;

Pegu Club

Shake well with cracked ice:

4 oz London dry gin

1.5 oz orange curacao (I've been using Cointreau)

1.5 oz lime juice

Big dash of Angostura bitters

Big dash of orange bitters

Strain into two cocktail glasses (or a single glass for you big lushes).

[ludja]

Last night I made a bourbon manhattan and substituted orange bitters for the Angostura and it was a subtle but nice difference.

I used Fee's but am anxious to get my hands on Regan's No. 6 soon. Thanks for bumping up the thread and reminding me of this.