Uses for orange flower water and orange bitters?

Yesterday I came across Orange Blossom Water, Rose Water, Orange Bitters, Mint Bitters and Peach Bitters(bitters by Fee Brothers). Also Pomegranate Concentrate made from actual pomegranates! Italian Delis have so many great things.

I only bought the Orange Bitters and the Orange Blossom water.

I swear I've seen them mentioned in drink recipes, but so far I've only been able to find one or two for each.(navy grog and something from Intoxica! I think)

Anyone know of any good ones?

I think I'm going to buy the pamegranate stuff and chuck my bottles of Rose's garbage.

Orange bitters are usually a good addition to any gin drink.

Orange flower water is primarily used for aroma, since shaken cocktails are usually too cold to smell much like anything. You make the cocktail, shake and strain and all that, and then add a few dashes of orange flower water to the drink before serving.

Thanks mbanu,
I'm kind of looking for specific recipes, but I'll definitely be doing some experimenting.
-Tw

TW I know this is not the answer you want, but I put a half teaspoon of the orange blossom in my tea (Earl Grey or Ceylon etc.) along with some fresh mint and I brew it . It is fantastic, try it.

Hey that sounds great!
Being the tea fiend that I am, I must try it!

I've also heard of it used in fruit salads and in drinks served at the Mai Kai.

Get Dr. Cocktails book latest book. It is full of old drinks that use orange bitters.

for a Ramos Fizz you"ll need the orange flower water...
aloha!

Thanks Captnkirk! I'll have to keep my eyes open for that one.

Tiki Rider, do you have good recipe for that? Or will looking online bring up something acceptable?

On 2005-12-06 10:04, Tikiwahine wrote:
Thanks Captnkirk! I'll have to keep my eyes open for that one.

Well you can stop looking because it's right here.

This really is a great book. And hey, even bigbrotiki gives it a plug.

On 2005-12-06 10:04, Tikiwahine wrote:
Thanks Captnkirk! I'll have to keep my eyes open for that one.

Tiki Rider, do you have good recipe for that? Or will looking online bring up something acceptable?

from the Ultimate A-TO-Z Bar Guide...Ramos Fizz

recipe #1
2 oz gin
2 oz cream
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
2 drops orange flower water
1 tsp powdered sugar
1/2 cup cracked ice
cold club soda
orange slice

Combine all ingredients except club soda and orange slice in a blender. Cover and process at medium speed until smooth, 15 to 20 seconds. Pour into chilled collins glass. Top with club soda; garnish with orange slice.

recipe #2 (not sure where I found this one at, just have it written down on piece of paper)
1 1/4 oz gin
1/4 oz orange juice
1 oz sweet-sour mix
1 egg white
1/4 oz simple sryrup
1/8 oz orange flower water
2 oz milk or cream or half n half
1 oz soda water
ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender except soda water. Blend until smooth. Pour into chilled collins glass. Top with soda water; garnish with a cherry and orange twist.

aloha!

Woo! Thanks TR!
I'm going to have to try those soon, I also bought some sweet & sour concentrate.

Yummies!

TW,
Here's one that I've never made correctly due to no orange blossom water (or gardenia for that matter). It's great w/o and should be awesome when done up correctly. Recipe from "Trader Vic's Tiki Party" book that came out in the last year.

Tiki Puka Puka

• 3 oz. TV's Navy Grog Mix
• 1 oz. orange juice
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1 oz. silver rum
• 1 oz. dark rum
• 1 oz. 151-proof Demerara rum
• Dash grenadine
• 1 cup crushed ice, plus additional ice cubes
• 1 gardenia for garnish
• Dash of orange flower water for garnish

Combine Grog Mix, juices, rums, grenadine and crushed ice in a blender and pulse for a few seconds, just until uniformly combined. Pour into double old-fashioned glass or individual scorpion bowl. Add ice cubes to fill. Garnish with gardenia and a dash of orange blossom water sprinkled on top.

-JTD

Most of the older recipes for the Manhattan call for orange bitters (eventually just changed to bitters as orange bitters became hard to locate...And probably general ignorance/and or indifference helped as well). The Manhattan is a good drink for orange bitters to shine in as the only other ingredients are bourbon (another modern change, it was commonly rye or Canadian whiskey in the old recipes and that's still the way to go with a lot of folks) and sweet vermouth.

The Manhattan is a classic cocktail which most everyone has heard of but many have never tried, so it makes a great offering for guests who like to try new things. Just about anyone with taste likes them. (For the others there's always the dry vodka Martini.)

Recipes vary with ratio of bourbon to sweet vermouth usually being the largest difference (and there are also recipes that call for dry vermouth). Experimentation on the way to your ideal Manhattan is a fortunate necessity.

The Manhattan also makes a good guest drink as it ideally should be made in a pitcher, so making several at once is easy. (To quote thejab "The only thing worse than a shaken martini is a shaken Manhattan full of foam that won't go away.")

That looks like a great recipe JTD, I'm looking forward to it. I have been unable to find a source for navy grog mix(Trader Vic's doesn't seem to ship to Canada)but I found one right here by TC member WillTiki.

Woofmutt, I am going try a Manhattan with the traditional orange bitters, thanks for all the interesting information!

I was all geared up to partake in some experimentation this past weekend, but a bad cold with the chills has brought that to a stand still. Drat!

Somewhere I have a great recipe for a Ramos Gin Fizz. Tastes just like they make it at the Sazerac Bar at the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans. I'll post it if I can find it.

Some may disagree, but the original martini called for orange bitters. I have a good collection of cocktail books, and many of the oldest ones call for it.

Also, an equal measure of gin and french vermouth is common among these older recipes.

So... equal parts gin and dry vermouth, two dashes of orange bitters, stir in a pitcher with cracked ice... enjoy.

Ahu

On 2005-12-12 21:03, PiPhiRho wrote:
Somewhere I have a great recipe for a Ramos Gin Fizz. Tastes just like they make it at the Sazerac Bar at the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans. I'll post it if I can find it.

Yes please Paul!

And for everyone else, as far as the Orange Flower Water goes, if you make your own orgeat, it's a key ingredient.

the Ramos gin fizz that Bartender Chris McMillian does on youtube is the best ever. check out his other recipes there too.

aloha!

Here is a cocktail recipe that uses orange flower water. I found this tasty and easy to make.
One jigger gin, 1/2 jigger dry vermouth, 1/2 jigger triple sec, 2 drops orange flower water. Shake with ice, strain into martini glass, enjoy.
Also, I have a question on the Ramos Gin Fizz. I made one without any egg ingredient, and it tasted like alka seltzer and I didnt like it. Plus the powdered sugar wouldnt dissolve and made ugly clumps in the glass. Whats the best way to get sugar to dissolve in a cocktail?

The egg white greatly improves a Ramos Gin Fizz. Use the pasteurized liquid egg white that you can get at pretty much any supermarket. It comes in a little carton that look like a milk carton. Use a blender to make the ramos. I have never had a problem getting the sugar to disolve using a blender. If you still have a problem then it is the cornstarch in the confectioners sugar that is the problem. You could try using superfine sugar instead.

On 2009-11-20 17:49, PiPhiRho wrote:
The egg white greatly improves a Ramos Gin Fizz. Use the pasteurized liquid egg white that you can get at pretty much any supermarket. It comes in a little carton that look like a milk carton. Use a blender to make the ramos. I have never had a problem getting the sugar to disolve using a blender. If you still have a problem then it is the cornstarch in the confectioners sugar that is the problem. You could try using superfine sugar instead.

Thanks! I did not use a blender, my recipe said shaker, which was a bad idea. I will try the Ramos in a blender w/ the egg white. You know, this leads me to another cocktail mixing question, my Trader Vics' bartender's guide mentions "bar sugar" frequently, what is that? I dont want to use the wrong kind. Thanks in advance for an answer!

On 2009-11-20 19:06, TikiGoddess wrote:
... my Trader Vics' bartender's guide mentions "bar sugar" frequently, what is that? I dont want to use the wrong kind. Thanks in advance for an answer!

Bar sugar would be the same as superfine sugar. The granules are smaller than your typical sugar but larger than powdered sugar. It desolves more easily. I have heard that you can put regular sugar in a blender and make your own "superfine" sugar but I have yet to try this 'cause the superfine sugar is pretty easy to find at my local supermarket.

Wouldn't it be easiest to make your own rock candy syrup? Just a sugar syrup that most of us tiki cocktail makers have on hand anyhow?

On 2009-11-20 21:10, Tikiwahine wrote:
Wouldn't it be easiest to make your own rock candy syrup? Just a sugar syrup that most of us tiki cocktail makers have on hand anyhow?

Would this alter a recipe to a bad degree? Would the proportions be the same?

when shaking a ramos gin fizz, you have to shake for at least 2 minutes. Really. They say 15.
The result is amazing. I love that cocktail.

On 2009-11-21 23:34, virani wrote:
when shaking a ramos gin fizz, you have to shake for at least 2 minutes. Really. They say 15.
The result is amazing. I love that cocktail.

Fifteen minutes would be quite the workout!!

Picked up some Orange Blossom Water at a middle eastern market today 'cuz it looked interesting and cost under 2 bucks. Smells very perfumy and taste like SOAP!!! I can't imagine a drink would taste good with any more than a drop or 2 in it :D

yeah, it's mainly for bouqet imo, as some noted above.

re the Ramos Gin Fizz, i'm in the controversial camp that also adds a drop or two of vanilla...

Orange flower water and rose water are integral to homemade orgeat.

I use orange bitters when I make an Old Fashioned. Equal drops of angostura and orange bitters really brings out the orange aromas, especially if you add a twisted orange peel. (I never muddle fruit in my old fashioned).