Orange Bitters Margarita — A margarita without orange liqueur: tequila, lime and agave on the rocks, with orange bitters bringing the orange

Orange Bitters Margarita

A margarita without orange liqueur: tequila, lime and agave on the rocks, with orange bitters bringing the orange

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Ingredients

  • 1 ozFresh Lime Juice
    Fresh squeezed
  • 2 ozBlanco Tequila
    A clean, unaged tequila
  • 2 dashesAngostura Orange Bitters
    In place of the orange liqueur
    Substitute: Regans' Orange No. 6
  • 1 ozAgave Syrup
    The only sweetener in the glass
    Substitute: Simple syrup

Instructions

  1. Add 2 oz blanco tequila, 1 oz fresh lime juice, 1 oz agave syrup and 2 dashes Angostura orange bitters to a shaker
  2. Fill with ice and shake vigorously
  3. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass
  4. Garnish with a lime wheel

Technique Notes

The classic margarita takes an orange liqueur. This build leaves it out and lets the bitters carry the orange, so the agave syrup does all the sweetening. Angostura serves it over cubes with no salt rim.

Why the Orange Bitters Margarita Works

Orange liqueur brings sugar as well as orange. Orange bitters bring the peel without the sugar, so the agave alone sweetens the glass and the tequila stays in front, drier and greener than in the classic.

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