Ayiti Bitters Co. Zoranj Anme Orange Bitters
Ayiti Bitters Co. Zoranj Anme Orange Bitters is Haiti in a bottle — and a name that undersells it: a 70-proof (35% ABV) Haitian orange liqueur in a full 750mL bottle, built on a local rum base infused with the peels of bitter, curaçao, and sour oranges, then sweetened with cane juice reduced over fires fueled by spent pressed cane. It comes from Ayiti Bitters Co. (Berling S.A.) in Port-au-Prince, run by Herbert Barbancourt Linge of the 1862 Barbancourt rum lineage, and imported by Skurnik. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 70 proof (35% ABV) — 750mL (full bottle, not a dasher)
- Base: Haitian rum infused with bitter, curaçao & sour orange peels
- Sweetening: cane juice reduced over cane-fire
- Origin: Ayiti Bitters Co. (Berling S.A.), Port-au-Prince, Haiti
- Style: orange liqueur — a curaçao-style ingredient, not cocktail bitters
The Orange That Came Home
The bitter oranges of Hispaniola are said to have arrived with Columbus in 1492 — and Zoranj Anme is the argument for tasting them at the source. Where a French curaçao leans on neutral spirit, this one starts with Haitian rum and sweetens with cane juice cooked down over the very cane it came from, giving it a brightness and natural spice that reads unmistakably Caribbean. In Creole, "zoranj" is orange and "anmè" is bitter — the name is the recipe. Use it where you'd reach for a premium orange liqueur: Sidecars, White Ladies, Margaritas, rum sours — or sip it neat on the rocks. Find more craft liqueurs or browse everything from Ayiti Bitters Co. at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Unparalleled brightness with natural spice and bitterness (per the importer): vivid orange peel, warm spice, and a bitter-orange grip over the rum base, finishing with cane-sugar roundness.
How to Enjoy
As your orange-liqueur upgrade in a Sidecar or Margarita; also excellent neat or on a large rock as a bitter-orange aperitif.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this cocktail bitters?
No — despite the name, it is a full-strength (70 proof) orange liqueur in a 750mL bottle, used by the ounce like curaçao, not by the dash.
What does "Zoranj Anme" mean?
Haitian Creole for "bitter orange" — zoranj is orange, anmè is bitter.
Who makes it?
Ayiti Bitters Co. (Berling S.A.) in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, led by Herbert Barbancourt Linge, a descendant of the family behind Barbancourt rum since 1862.
A Caribbean orange liqueur with a rum soul — add Ayiti Zoranj Anme to your bar from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.