Bitter Queens Opulent Odessa Orange Bitters
Bitter Queens Opulent Odessa Orange Bitters is a 5 oz bottle of orange-chamomile cocktail bitters — Spanish and California orange oils with lemon and chamomile — billed by the brand as "an indulgent addition to any kind of spirit," available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Format: cocktail bitters, 5 fl oz (148 mL, per retailer corroboration of the brand's single format)
- Flavor profile: richly perfumed citrus — bitter and sweet orange, lemon, chamomile
- Ingredients: alcohol, bitter and sweet orange, lemon, chamomile, gentian (per brand's ingredient list)
- Origin: Bitter Queens — born in the Bay Area, now based in New Orleans, LA
- Pairs with: any spirit, per the brand; classic and modern cocktails alike
Orange Bitters, Turned Up to Opulent
Every back bar needs an orange bitters, and Opulent Odessa is Bitter Queens' answer to the category staple — but where a standard orange bitters is a single-note citrus tool, this one is perfumed and layered. The brand builds it on bitter and sweet orange, Spanish and Californian, with lemon and chamomile woven in, for something the official page calls an indulgent addition to any kind of spirit. That's the pitch: not a bitters for one cocktail family, but the bottle you reach for when a drink needs citrus oils and floral lift at once — a whiskey sour, a gin martini, a sparkling wine cocktail, all fair game. Compare it against the rest of the Bitter Queens range, or stack it next to the spicier Shanghai Shirley 5-Spice Bitters to see how the same brand handles citrus versus spice.
Tasting Notes
Orange oil dominates — pithy bitter orange and sweet orange peel — with lemon brightness and a soft, honeyed chamomile note rounding the edges. The gentian keeps it from reading as a liqueur: dry, aromatic, and firmly bitter on the finish.
How to Enjoy
Use 2–4 dashes wherever orange bitters are called for: an Old Fashioned, a whiskey sour, a Negroni variation, or a Champagne cocktail. It also earns its place in a dry martini build where you want citrus and florals without juice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes this different from standard orange bitters?
Layered citrus (bitter and sweet orange, Spanish and Californian) plus chamomile and lemon, where most orange bitters are a simpler single-citrus profile.
Does it contain frankincense or ginger?
The brand's ingredient list names ginger; its own description copy and one retailer mention frankincense. We stick to the uncontested ingredients: orange, lemon, and chamomile.
What cocktails is it best in?
The brand says any kind of spirit — orange bitters are universal, but it particularly suits whiskey sours, Old Fashioneds, and sparkling wine cocktails.
How big is the bottle?
The brand's standard single format is 5oz (148mL), confirmed across retailers selling this expression.
When a cocktail calls for orange bitters with character, order Opulent Odessa online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.