I had gone to BevMo to find Orange Flower Water, to recreate the Gin Fizz I had at the Moss Room, but they were out.
Then I saw Blood Orange Bitters, which immediately reminded me of our road trip and meal at the Hotel Del Coronado last summer.
There, I had a lovely drink of champagne and blood orange bitters, which I had always assumed was really fancy and unobtainable at home. But there it was, in the dead of winter, in my own hometown, the bottle of blood orange bitters, for under $5, so I bought it. At home I read the lable, and there was my drink, which we mixed up that afternoon for company. It’s a lovely bubbly drink with the exotic, not too sweet flavor of blood orange. The sugar cube gives it just a touch of sweetness. I made it with Prosecco, of course, but any bubbly will do, I’m sure.
This is the kind of thing I love: something that feels very fancy, that you think you can never have at home, because the ingredients are too expensive or exotic. But in fact, a lovely version can be made with a decent bottle of your favorite, inexpensive Prosecco (many are available for $10-12) and a serendipitous find at BevMo, which is not exactly a bastion of exclusive, foody culture. It’s more like the work horse of a home that likes their cocktails on a budget.
It’s a lovely drink, it’s seasonal and delicious, and one of those things that can just make you happy. The color is glorious and the flavor just a bit suprising. It’s probably what we’ll be toasting each other with this weekend. And for winter weekends to come. At least until the bitters run out.
Blood Orange Prosecco Cocktail
- Blood orange bitters
- Chilled Prosecco
- Sugar cube
- Sliced blood oranges for garnish (optional)
For each drink, place a sugar cube in the bottom of the glass and cover with bitters. Pour chilled prosecco on top. Garnish with blood orange.
