Chef Joost
Advocaat (Dutch Egg Liqueur)
Advocaat is the Dutch liqueur you eat with a spoon: brandewijn, yolks and sugar turned into a glossy Easter glass, with a hat of slagroom and no apology.
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Oranjebitter
Created by
A bright orange glass for Koningsdag and every Oranje victory, where bitter peel, jenever, and spice turn the House of Orange into something you can pour.
Beverages
Dutch
Celebration
Make Ahead
20 min
Active Time
5 min cook•P14D total
YieldAbout 750ml
Some drinks are recipes, and some are banners. Oranjebitter is the second sort, though the Dutch, being Dutch, managed to make the banner drinkable, bitter, and best prepared weeks before anyone waves it. The name already tells you the joke and the loyalty at once: oranje, orange, for the House of Orange, and bitter, because celebration in the Low Countries is allowed to keep a straight face.
But let me tell you a secret. This is not a sweet orange liqueur wearing a little national colour for Koningsdag, King's Day. It belongs to the old Dutch habit of steeping peels, roots, seeds, and spices in strong drink until the bottle carries a memory of the apothecary as much as the tavern. Bitter orange peel gives the backbone, fresh orange peel gives brightness, and jenever, our juniper spirit, gives it the proper Dutch spine. Vodka will obey the recipe. Jenever will tell the story.
Hou het altijd simpel, always keep it simple. You are not distilling, only infusing. Peel carefully so the white pith stays behind, shake the jar when you remember, taste before the bitterness grows bossy, then sweeten just enough to make the drink pourable without turning it into syrup. Serve it cold in small glasses. A flag in a glass does not need a long speech.
Oranjebitter appears in the Dutch distilling tradition by the seventeenth century, when orange-flavoured bitters were linked to the House of Orange and the political fortunes of the Dutch Republic. Distillers revived and marketed it strongly for royal occasions in the nineteenth century, especially around Queen Wilhelmina's inauguration in 1898, and it remains tied to Koningsdag, royal births, and national sporting victories. Its flavour belongs to the same Dutch bittersweet family as jenever-based kruidenbitters, with citrus peel and spice used as both celebration and medicine.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
jonge jenever
Quantity
700ml
organic oranges
Quantity
4
peeled in wide strips, white pith removed
dried bitter orange peel
Quantity
15g
cinnamon stick
Quantity
1 small
whole cloves
Quantity
4
mace
Quantity
1 blade
coriander seeds
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
sugar
Quantity
150g
water
Quantity
150ml
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| jonge jenever | 700ml |
| organic orangespeeled in wide strips, white pith removed | 4 |
| dried bitter orange peel | 15g |
| cinnamon stick | 1 small |
| whole cloves | 4 |
| mace | 1 blade |
| coriander seeds | 1/2 teaspoon |
| sugar | 150g |
| water | 150ml |
Equipment Needed
- •Clean 1-liter glass jar with lid
- •Fine sieve
- •Coffee filter or clean cloth
- •Clean 750ml bottle
Instructions
- 1
Peel the oranges
Wash the oranges well, then peel them in broad strips, taking only the orange skin and as little white pith as possible. The peel is perfume; the pith is a scolding. If a strip carries too much white, scrape it away with the back of a small knife.
- 2
Start the infusion
Put the fresh orange peel, dried bitter orange peel, cinnamon, cloves, mace, and coriander seeds into a clean 1-liter jar. Pour over the jenever, close the jar, and shake once. Set it somewhere cool and dark for 10 to 14 days, shaking it gently every day or two.
Taste after day 10. Bitter orange peel is useful because it knows its work, but it can overstay its welcome. When the infusion smells brightly of orange and finishes pleasantly bitter, strain it. - 3
Make the syrup
Combine the sugar and water in a small pan and warm gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved completely. Let the syrup cool. Do not boil it down; you want sweetness, not a sticky punishment.
- 4
Strain and sweeten
Strain the infused jenever through a fine sieve, then through a coffee filter or a clean cloth if you want it clear. Stir in about two-thirds of the cooled syrup, taste, and add more only if the bitterness is too stern. Oranjebitter should smile without becoming orange candy.
- 5
Bottle and rest
Pour into a clean bottle, seal, and let it rest for at least 3 days before serving. A week is better. The peel, spice, and sugar need a little time to stop speaking over one another.
- 6
Serve cold
Chill the bottle well and pour small measures into borrelglazen, Dutch little drinking glasses. Serve neat for Koningsdag, King's Day, or lengthen with a splash of cold sparkling water if the afternoon is long and the flag is already doing enough work.
Chef Tips
- •Use jenever if you can. Jonge jenever, young jenever, keeps the flavour clean while still giving that Dutch grain-and-juniper backbone; vodka makes a tidy drink but a quieter one.
- •Dried bitter orange peel is the honest bittering ingredient here. If you cannot find it, use the peel of two extra oranges and add 2 strips of grapefruit peel, but remove the grapefruit after 3 to 4 days so it doesn't bully the bottle.
- •Keep the colour natural unless you need the old parade-ground orange. Some commercial versions are brightly coloured for the royal joke; at home, the peel gives a handsome amber-orange without theatre.
Advance Preparation
- •Begin at least 2 weeks before serving; 10 to 14 days of infusion plus 3 to 7 days of resting gives the cleanest flavour.
- •Keeps for several months in a cool dark cupboard. Chill before serving, and keep the bottle tightly closed so the orange aroma stays lively.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 29g)
Calories
75 calories
Total Fat
0 g
Saturated Fat
0 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
0 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
0 mg
Total Carbohydrates
6 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
6 g
Protein
0 g
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