Bitter Queens Marie Laveau Tobacco Bitters
Bitter Queens Marie Laveau Tobacco Bitters is a 5 oz bottle of savory cocktail bitters — vanilla, dried cherry, cloves, and cardamom evoking pipe tobacco and smoked tea, with no actual tobacco in the bottle — a Silver winner at the 2020 Proof Awards and a natural in whiskey-based drinks, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Format: cocktail bitters, 5 fl oz (148 mL)
- Flavor profile: savory "tobacco" notes — smoked tea, clove, vanilla, dried cherry
- Ingredients: alcohol, vanilla, dried cherry, cloves, cardamom, gentian, spices (per brand; contains NO tobacco)
- Award: Silver, 2020 Proof Awards (brand's product guide)
- Origin: Bitter Queens — born in the Bay Area, now based in New Orleans, LA
- Pairs with: whiskey drinks, rum, gin, coffee; Manhattan, Old Fashioned, blackberry smash
The Voodoo Queen's Whiskey Bitters (Minus the Tobacco)
Marie Laveau — the legendary New Orleans voodoo queen — is the namesake, and the flavor is pure atmosphere: the brand describes savory tobacco notes coalescing with smoked tea, clove, and vanilla, built from vanilla, dried cherry, cloves, and cardamom. The important footnote, straight from the brand's own product page: it contains no tobacco whatsoever. The name is about the mood — dark, smoky, a little mysterious — not the ingredient. That mood is why the brand's recipes page leans hard into whiskey: a bourbon/rye Manhattan build called Hell's Kitchen, a rye-and-amaro No Redemption, and a blanco tequila-and-mezcal Black Magic for the adventurous. Silver at the 2020 Proof Awards confirms it's more than a gimmick. Browse the whole Bitter Queens range, or pair it with the Joker Judy Chocolate Bitters for the full dark-and-cozy whiskey-bitters arsenal.
Tasting Notes
Dried cherry and vanilla open sweet and round, then clove and cardamom bring savory spice, with a smoked-tea depth that reads as "tobacco" without any tobacco present. The finish is warm, dry, and gently bitter — built for brown spirits.
How to Enjoy
The brand's home turf is whiskey: a Manhattan, a rum or whiskey Old Fashioned, a blackberry smash. It also flirts with rum, gin, and coffee — try four dashes in an espresso-and-liqueur nightcap, or follow the brand's own Hell's Kitchen recipe (bourbon/rye, Carpano Antica, Averna).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it actually contain tobacco?
No — the brand states explicitly that the bottle contains no tobacco. The "tobacco" is a flavor impression built from vanilla, dried cherry, cloves, cardamom, and smoked-tea notes.
What award did it win?
Silver at the 2020 Proof Awards, per the brand's July 2024 product guide.
What cocktails is it best in?
Whiskey-based drinks first — Manhattan, Old Fashioned — plus rum, coffee cocktails, and red wine cocktails per the brand's guide.
Who is Marie Laveau?
The legendary 19th-century New Orleans voodoo practitioner — a fitting namesake for a New Orleans-based bitters brand's smokiest expression.
For whiskey drinks with a dark, smoky edge, order Marie Laveau Tobacco Bitters online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.