Grapefruit Bitters
Bitters flavored with grapefruit peel, adding a bittersweet citrus accent to cocktails.
Origin
A modern specialty bitters flavor, part of the broader wave of flavor-specific bitters that emerged during the 2000s-2010s craft cocktail revival.
History
Like chocolate and other flavor-specific bitters, grapefruit bitters are a modern addition to the category, developed as craft cocktail bartenders and bitters makers moved well beyond the original 19th-century aromatic style into an enormous range of specialty flavors. Grapefruit bitters give bartenders a way to add concentrated citrus bitterness and aroma to a drink without needing fresh grapefruit juice or peel on hand, particularly useful in gin- and tequila-based cocktails.
Flavor profile
Concentrated bitter grapefruit peel character, tart and aromatic rather than sweet.
Tasting notes
A few dashes bring a bright, bitter citrus lift similar to fresh grapefruit zest, adding aromatic complexity to gin, tequila, and vodka cocktails without diluting the drink with actual juice.
Substitutes
- Orange bitters, for a different but comparably bright citrus-bitters substitute.
- Fresh grapefruit peel, expressed over the drink, for a fresher version of a similar aromatic effect.
- A dash of Peychaud's or aromatic bitters plus fresh grapefruit zest, as an approximation.
