8 Ultra-Simple Cocktails Made With Booze, Bitters, and Not Much Else
Historically, a cocktail is defined as a drink made with spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. No juices, no egg whites, no muddled fruit. If that definition seems limiting, think again. Thanks to the proliferation of craft spirits and bitters, the simplest cocktails can be made in many different ways.
Here are brilliant, ultra-simple cocktail ideas from bitters expert Brad Thomas Parsons, author of Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All.
Pink Gin
Pink Gin is a classic cocktail first made popular by the British Royal Navy. To make it, simply coat a class with bitters and pour in chilled gin (or room temperature gin if you want to be really authentic).
Spirit and bitters recommendation: Plymouth gin and Angostura bitters.
Related: This Easy Non-Alcoholic Drink Will Make Your January Blues Disappear
Whiskey and Bitters
This is about as simple as a drink can get, but adding bitters to bourbon over an ice cube is transformative.
Spirit and bitters recommendation: Parsons suggests opting for a new American whiskey like Tincup with aromatic bitters like the Dead Rabbit Orinoco bitters.
Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned is the quintessential cocktail in the historical sense of the word. It’s sugar (or simple syrup), Angostura bitters, whiskey, and a splash of water or club soda.
Spirit and bitters recommendation: When he makes his Old Fashioneds with bourbon, Parsons likes Bulleit. He uses a rich demerara simple syrup, bourbon, and aromatic bitters like Fee Brothers’ Whiskey Barrel–Aged bitters or Brooklyn Hemispherical Black Mission Fig bitters for an elevated note.
Related: 5 Super Useful Bottles of Bitters You Should Absolutely Own
Sazerac
Thought by some (especially New Orleanians) to be the first cocktail ever, Sazeracs are made with rye whiskey or Cognac, sugar, Peychaud’s, and a rinse of absinthe.
Spirit and bitters recommendation: You can stick to the classic mix of rye (Parsons likes Rittenhouse 100 proof) and Peychaud’s, or try a different brand of anise-heavy bitters like the Bitter Truth Creole bitters, which are even more herbaceous than Peychaud’s.
Martini
These days, if you order a Martini at a bar it probably won’t contain bitters. But the original martini was made with equal parts gin and dry vermouth and a few dashes of orange bitters.
Spirit and bitters recommendation: Parsons keeps his classic Martinis classic. He likes Plymouth gin and dry vermouth like Dolin. As for the bitters, he dashes in an equal mix of Fee Brothers West Indian Orange bitters and Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6. “It’s a way to balance the up-front orange zest flavor of Fees with the more aromatic, cardamom-rich Regans’.” He also likes Fee Brothers limited-edition Gin Barrel–Aged Orange bitters.
Manhattan
The old-school brown and boozy cocktail is classically made with rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Angostura bitters.
Spirit and bitters recommendation: Parsons typically reaches for Bulleit rye whiskey. He uses the traditional Angostura bitters, then adds in a dash of orange bitters like Regans’ for brightness. For an alternative version, Parsons swaps in cherry bitters like Miracle Mile Sour Cherry as a reference to the typical cherry garnish.
Champagne Cocktail
There’s nothing classier than a Champagne cocktail and it's very simple to make. Just drop a sugar cube into a flute, sprinkle in Angostura bitters, and top with sparkling wine.
Spirit and bitters recommendation: This cocktail lends itself to lots of variation. For a bright, citrusy version, Parsons uses Miracle Mile Yuzu bitters with a touch of Angostura (for color). He also suggests using floral lavender bitters like Scrappy’s.
The Sawyer
This is the ultimate bitters-heavy cocktail. Developed by bartender Don Lee, it’s a take on a gin Gimlet that calls for 28 dashes of three kinds of bitters. Here’s the recipe: Shake 2 ounces of gin with 1/2 ounce of lime juice, 1/2 ounce of simple syrup, 14 dashes of Angostura, 7 dashes of Peychaud’s, and 7 dashes of orange bitters. Strain and serve up.
Spirit and bitters recommendation: Parsons makes this tart, lightly bitter drink with Beefeater gin, traditional Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters, and a 50/50 mix of Fee Brothers West Indian Orange bitters and Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6.
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