Barrel Aged Orange Bitters Update

Well, I've left the barrel outside all week, I'll probably bring it into the garage now, but I want it to experience some weather to bring the madeira in and out of the wood.

I put together my bitters recipe Wednesday night. I'm going to let this soak for a month, and then into the barrel in June. Here's what I'm doing-

2 750 Ml bottles of Everclear
5 orange peels
8 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 bay leaf

Its in the basement right now, sitting next to the Bacon Bourbon. More on that soon.

So what do you do when you make bitters and end up with 5 peeled oranges? I make dessert.

Navan Oranges
5 oranges, peeled and sliced into rounds (if this was for a dinner party, I'd slice the pithy edges off, but at home I leave it as is)
3 oz Navan Liqueur
3 dashes Angostura Bitters

1) In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly to incorporate
2) Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours
3) Serve and enjoy. Best topped with a little whipped cream spiked with Grand Marnier.

Blood Orange Saffron Bitters

I pulled the Blood Orange Saffron bitters out of my cask after spending a week in American oak. The oak imparted a nice vanilla flavor and added quite a bit of complexity to the bitters. These may be my best bitters yet. In fact, if saffron weren't so damn expensive, I might be tempted to give Mr. Gary Regan and the brothers Fee a run for their money. I think I'll barrel age all my bitters in the future, its made a signifigant difference to the final product. I can't wait to give these a trial run. I'm thinking of incorporating these bitters into a new cocktail creation built around cashew feni and the bitters. Look for it soon.