By the Dutch Orange Bitters
By the Dutch Orange Bitters is a 50 mL dropper bottle of orange cocktail bitters — bitter orange peel, wormwood, cardamom, coriander, and nutmeg at 45% ABV (90 proof) — 100% natural and vegan, from the Dutch spirits brand created by Matthias Soberon, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 45% (90 proof)
- Format: cocktail bitters, 50 mL pipet screw-cap dropper bottle
- Flavor profile: powerful spicy-bitter — bitter orange peel and wormwood with cardamom, coriander, nutmeg
- Botanicals: bitter orange peel (foreground), wormwood, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg; 100% natural, vegan friendly
- Origin: By the Dutch — spirits with a Dutch heritage, created by Matthias Soberon; US via Preiss Imports
- Pairs with: genever cocktails; a few drops per drink — Old (Oude) Fashioned, Genever Brûlé, Nutty Summer
Dutch Orange Bitters, Built for Genever
By the Dutch added bitters to its range in early 2016 for a specific mission: supporting Old Genever, gin, and Batavia Arrack in cocktails — the Dutch spirits the brand was founded to champion. This orange expression leads with bitter orange peel and wormwood for a powerfully spicy-bitter punch, backed by cardamom, coriander, and nutmeg, and it's 100% natural and vegan. The 50mL pipet dropper is the tell: this is a few-drops-per-drink bitters, not a dasher bottle. The brand's own serves show the intent — an Old (Oude) Fashioned built on 2 oz Old Genever with 3–4 drops each of the Orange and Classic bitters, the Genever Brûlé, and the Nutty Summer (3 dashes). US distribution runs through Preiss Imports, with Pacific Edge Wine & Spirits handling California — which matches the tags on this listing exactly. Browse the By the Dutch range, or compare it with the Scrappy's Orange Bitters to taste Dutch wormwood-spice against American fresh-peel orange bitters.
Tasting Notes
Bitter orange peel and wormwood dominate — spicy, dry, and assertive — with cardamom warmth, coriander brightness, and nutmeg depth behind. The official nose note is "a distinct scent of spices, with hints of orange peel and wormwood." In a genever Old Fashioned it adds a continental, almost alpine bitterness.
How to Enjoy
A few drops per cocktail via the pipet — the brand's Old (Oude) Fashioned uses 3–4 drops with 2 oz Old Genever and simple syrup. It also works in the Genever Brûlé and Nutty Summer, or even in sparkling water over ice per the importer's suggestion.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I dose a dropper bottle?
By the drop, not the dash — the brand's recipes call for 3–4 drops per cocktail. A 50mL bottle still seasons hundreds of drinks.
What's wormwood doing in orange bitters?
Wormwood is the classic bittering botanical (it's in vermouth and absinthe too) — here it gives the orange peel a dry, spicy-bitter backbone.
Is it vegan?
Yes — the brand states 100% natural flavoring and ingredients, vegan friendly.
Which cocktails suit it best?
Genever cocktails first — the bitters were created to support Old Genever — plus the brand's Old Fashioned, Genever Brûlé, and Nutty Summer serves.
For genever cocktails with real Dutch character, order By the Dutch Orange Bitters online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.