Crimson & Cocoa
I think it’s apparent how much I love bitters, and Angostura has always been a staple in my bar. Their cocoa bitters has rich notes of nutty cocoa, and, of course, the traditional infusion of aromatic botanicals. I had so much fun making this cocoa-forward, citrusy cocktail, The Crimson & Cocoa (which also uses their orange bitters).
Ingredients:
6 dashes cocoa bitters
2 dashes orange bitters
1 oz amaro di angostura
1 oz orange liqueur
1 oz mezcal
Directions:
Add bitters, amaro, liqueur, and mezcal into a cocktail mixing glass. Add ice and stir for approximately thirty seconds (dilution is key to perfecting this cocktail!). Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with a chocolate-dipped, candied orange wheel.
CHOCOLATE-DIPPED CANDIED ORANGE WHEEL
Ingredients:
2 oz chocolate (60% cocoa)
½ oz cocoa bitters
flakey sea salt
navel orange
½ cup water
¾ cup cane sugar
Directions:
Cut navel orange into slices, approximately ¼” thick. Combine sugar and water in a wide skillet, bring to a simmer, stirring until dissolved.
Reduce heat and add the orange slices in an even layer — let steep for at least thirty minutes to an hour, turning them from time to time, until oranges are translucent.
Dry the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet for at least 24 hours at room temperature. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator once set.
For the chocolate, melt the chocolate with the angostura bitters. Once fully melted, dip half of the orange slice to coat. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt. Let the chocolate set for at least one hour and use as a garnish.