How to Mix Low-Alcohol Bitters and Soda

Bitters and soda make for the perfect bubbly and refreshing combo when you don’t really want a drink. It tastes like a cocktail, but has only trace amounts of booze.

If you want a cocktail that’s not really a cocktail, you’ll want to try mixing bitters and soda! This genius trick is the best way to feel like you’re drinking when you’re really not. I do this all the time, especially in the evenings when I want a nightcap.

The amount of alcohol in cocktail bitters is negligible, so you end up with a drink that tastes like a cocktail with only trace amounts of booze. The flavor is so delicious. It’s nuanced, herbal, and slightly bitter. With a squeeze of lemon, it’s pure genius!

Mixing bitters and soda

Bitters and soda is exactly how it sounds, cocktail bitters and club soda. Because there are only a few dashes of bitters in the drink, the alcohol level is very low and nearly negligible. It’s a great option for anyone who wants the flavor of a cocktail without the alcohol.

The minute alcohol level also makes it a very low-calorie drink. “Bitters and Soda” is also the name of a brand of canned non-alcoholic drinks, but you can easily make this drink at home. The ingredients you’ll need are:

• Club soda or sparkling water
• Cocktail bitters like Angostura, Peychaud’s, orange bitters, or non-alcoholic bitters

Ready to make it? Pour out your sparkling water, add the dashes of bitters, and top with a squeeze of a lemon wedge. The nuanced, bitter, herbal, and effervescent flavor is unreal! You’ll become a quick convert to this easy 2-ingredient drink.

More about cocktail bitters

Bitters are small bottles of spirits infused with botanicals like herbs and spices that are used to flavor cocktails. They’re essential in modern mixology, as they take drinks from one-note to extraordinarily complex in just a few shakes.

Because bitters are made with so many herbs and spices, they add intrigue to your drink. The flavors aren’t easily recognizable. Some popular types of cocktail bitters are:

• Angostura bitters: These are the most popular cocktail bitters. The flavor is complex and spiced, with hints of clove and cinnamon. They get the name from their manufacturer, the House of Angostura in Trinidad and Tobago.
• Peychaud’s bitters: These are most well-known for inclusion in the Sazerac. The flavor is a little sweeter than Angostura bitters, with hints of anise and mint.
• Orange bitters: These bitters taste citrusy and fresh, with hints of cinnamon. I find them more versatile and easy to incorporate into cocktails.

There are lots of other types of craft bitters, each with a different flavor. You can use any type of cocktail bitters in bitters and soda, making a different flavor profile every time.

Let’s talk calories

When I say this is a low-calorie drink, I mean it! A classic bitters and soda has just 6 calories. How’s that for a skinny cocktail? Here’s the math:

• There are just 1.5 calories per dash of bitters.
• 4 dashes x 1.5 calories = 6 calories per drink

Let’s talk alcohol

There are only trace amounts of alcohol in bitters, around 45% of 0.08 ounces, which is 0.03 ounces. Here’s the math:

• Most bitters are between 35% to 45% ABV.
• 1 dash = between ⅛ teaspoon and ¼ teaspoon, which is 0.02 to 0.04 ounces.
• Most cocktails have 3 ounces of alcohol, and most alcohol (like whiskey, gin, rum, and tequila) is 40% ABV. So the typical cocktail would have 3 * 0.40 or 1.2 ounces of alcohol.

More drinks with bitters

There are lots more famous cocktails with bitters to use up the bottles, when you’re up for drinking alcohol! Here are a few more famous drinks:

• The classic Old Fashioned is the most popular drink with bitters like Angostura.
• The Manhattan is another famous bitters drink.
• The Sazerac is a New Orleans drink with Peychaud’s bitters.
• The Vieux Carré has both Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters.
• The Trinidad Sour uses an ungodly amount of bitters in 1 drink (1 ½ ounces)!

01

Old Fashioned

02

Manhattan Cocktail

03

Sazerac Cocktail

04

Trinidad Sour

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