Scrappy’s Orleans Bitters
Scrappy's Orleans Bitters is a 5 oz bottle of Creole-style cocktail bitters — strong anise with citrus, cinnamon, and a floral finish, bottled at 47% ABV (94 proof) — the brand's newest classic-flavor release, built for Sazeracs and Vieux Carrés, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 47% (94 proof, per official site)
- Format: cocktail bitters, 5 fl oz (148 mL)
- Flavor profile: strong anise first, turning sweet, finishing floral — citrus and cinnamon throughout
- Botanicals: anise-forward with citrus, cinnamon, floral notes; organic, no oils/extracts/artificials
- Origin: handcrafted in Seattle, WA by Scrappy's Bitters (founded 2008)
- Pairs with: Sazerac, Vieux Carré; whiskey, rye, cognac builds
Creole Bitters for the Sazerac Purist
Orleans is Scrappy's newest classic-flavor release, and it's aimed squarely at New Orleans: "our Creole-style bitters," in the brand's own words, designed for the Sazerac and the Vieux Carré — "and everything in between." The flavor architecture is bold: strong anise arrives first, turns sweet in the middle, and resolves on a floral petal finish, with citrus and cinnamon woven through. It's anise doing the heavy lifting the way Peychaud's does in a Sazerac, but with a broader spice-and-floral frame around it. Like everything in the line, it's handcrafted in Scrappy's single Seattle facility from organic ingredients with no oils or extracts, and every batch is numbered after inspection. Beyond the classics, the brand's cocktail page features Willie's Punch — tequila, pineapple, and falernum — for the tiki-adjacent. See the full Scrappy's Bitters lineup, or reach for the Seville Orange Bitters when the drink wants citrus rather than anise.
Tasting Notes
Anise dominates the attack — bold, sweet, almost candy-like — before citrus and cinnamon emerge and the finish turns dry, bitter, and floral. In a Sazerac it deepens the absinthe rinse and gives the rye a spiced, aromatic frame.
How to Enjoy
The obvious home is the Sazerac: rye, a sugar cube, these bitters, an absinthe rinse, lemon peel. It's equally at home in a Vieux Carré, and the brand suggests experimenting beyond — Willie's Punch shows it can even work in tropical builds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a Peychaud's substitute?
It's Scrappy's Creole-style answer to the same slot — anise-forward bitters for Sazeracs and Vieux Carrés — with its own broader spice and floral profile.
What's the ABV?
47% ABV per the brand's official page. One retailer lists 50.8%, likely from an older label; the brand's current spec wins.
Which cocktails is it built for?
The Sazerac and the Vieux Carré first — the brand names both — plus "everything in between" in the whiskey-rye-cognac family.
Does it only work in New Orleans classics?
No — the brand's own Willie's Punch (tequila, pineapple, falernum) shows its anise-and-spice frame can stretch into tropical territory.
Build a better Sazerac — order Scrappy's Orleans Bitters online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.