Explore Bark & Bitter’s full range of non-alcoholic bitters with this Essential Cocktail Bitters Sampler Kit. Includes 1oz bottles of Honestly Aromatic, Overtly Orange, and New Orleans Bywater Bitters, plus Remarkable Sparkling Solution, ideal for experimenting or gifting.
Everything you need to know about non-alcoholic bitters in under 2 minutes.
Non-alcoholic bitters are concentrated botanical seasonings for drinks. You use them in drops or dashes to add aroma, gentle bitterness, and balance, while keeping your drink at 0.0% ABV.
Traditional cocktail bitters have existed since the 1800s and are typically alcohol-based. Non-alcoholic bitters are a newer option made for people who want the same role bitters play in classic cocktails, without adding any alcohol. Think of bitters as the “salt and pepper” of beverages: a small amount can make a drink taste more complete.
Bitters are concentrated extracts of herbs, spices, citrus peel, roots, and other botanicals. In cocktails, they are used in very small amounts to add structure, lift aroma, and balance sweetness and spirits.
Many classic recipes call for bitters because they help tie a drink together. Without bitters, a simple mix of spirit(s) and mixers can taste flat, disjointed, or overly sweet. With a few dashes, the same drink often tastes more cohesive and “finished.”
Traditional bitters are usually alcohol-based and commonly bottled around 40-50% ABV (some are higher). Non-alcoholic bitters use an alcohol-free base, often glycerin and filtered water, to deliver a similar functional role at 0.0% ABV.
How Do Non-Alcoholic Bitters Differ from Alcohol-Based Bitters?
The most significant difference is the extraction base. Alcohol is a fast, effective solvent for pulling flavour and aroma from botanicals. Non-alcoholic bitters often use food-grade glycerin (and water), which extracts differently and generally takes longer to build flavour depth.
When made carefully, alcohol-free bitters can deliver bold aroma, controlled bitterness, and balance, without introducing alcohol into a zero-proof drink.
Key differences:
Base: Traditional bitters use alcohol (often 40-50% ABV). Non-alcoholic bitters use a non-alcoholic base (0.0% ABV). Some brands use vinegar. We use glycerin and water.
Impact on a “non-alcoholic” drink: Even a few dashes of traditional bitters can add measurable alcohol. Depending on how a drink is built, that can push an otherwise alcohol-free cocktail toward or above the 0.5% ABV threshold used in many markets. If you are avoiding alcohol completely, 0.0% ABV matters.
Shelf life: Both are shelf-stable for a long time. For non-alcoholic bitters, keeping the cap tightly sealed helps preserve them for a longer period.
How you use them: The same way, a few drops or dashes at a time.
4 Ways to Use Non-Alcoholic Bitters
Classic-style mocktails: Old Fashioned with aromatic bitters, Phony Negroni with orange bitters, Sazerac with New Orleans Bywater bitters
Everyday drinks: Add a few drops to sparkling water, tonic, soda, iced tea, or juice
Hot beverages: Orange bitters in tea, aromatic bitters in coffee
Cooking: Add depth to dressings, marinades, and desserts
Quick usage guide: Start with 2–3 dashes (or a few drops), taste, then add more if needed. Bitters are meant to season, not dominate.
Getting Started: Which Bitters to Try First
If you’re building a home bar, the most versatile starting point is the classic trio: aromatic, orange, and New Orleans (Peychaud’s-style) bitters.
Aromatic Bitters: The most universal. Great in Old Fashioned-style drinks, with traditional 'brown spirits' like whisky and rum, and in anything that needs structure and spice.
Orange Bitters: Bright citrus lift for spritz-style drinks, aperitif cocktails, and drinks with citrus components.
New Orleans Bywater Bitters: A Peychaud’s-style profile that shines in Sazerac-style drinks and adds a flavourful, Creole twist to cocktails when used.
Non-alcoholic bitters are one of the simplest ways to make a zero-proof drink taste like a real cocktail. They add the finishing structure: aromatic lift, controlled bitterness, and balance.
And if you’re avoiding alcohol completely, they solve a common problem. Traditional bitters are alcoholic, and even small amounts can matter depending on your needs and your definition of “non-alcoholic.” Alcohol-free bitters let you season drinks freely while keeping them truly 0.0% ABV.
Non-alcoholic bitters are concentrated botanical extracts used in small amounts to add structure, balance, and complexity to drinks without alcohol. Like traditional bitters, they are made from herbs, spices, citrus peel, and other botanicals, but use a non-alcoholic base instead of high-proof spirits. A few drops or dashes can transform a simple drink by adding bitterness, aroma, and depth.
Are non-alcoholic bitters really alcohol-free?
Yes. Non-alcoholic bitters are formulated to be truly alcohol-free at 0.0% ABV. Traditional cocktail bitters are typically made with high-proof alcohol and often contain 40–50% ABV, meaning even a few dashes can introduce alcohol into an otherwise non-alcoholic drink. Non-alcoholic bitters deliver the same functional role and flavour impact without adding any alcohol.
How are non-alcoholic bitters used?
Non-alcoholic bitters are used the same way as traditional bitters. Just a few drops or dashes are added to a drink to sharpen flavour, introduce controlled bitterness, and enhance aromatic complexity. They are commonly used in cocktails, mocktails, and simple serves like soda, sparkling water, coffee, or tea, where they act as a precise finishing touch rather than a primary flavour.
Do non-alcoholic bitters taste bitter?
They are bitter by design, but not harsh. Bitterness in bitters is meant to balance sweetness, add structure, and create depth, not to overwhelm a drink. When used correctly in small amounts, non-alcoholic bitters function like salt in cooking, enhancing and tying together other flavours rather than dominating them. Because bitters are added in small doses and integrated into a drink rather than consumed on their own, their bitterness is typically subtle and well-balanced in the finished cocktail or mocktail.
How do non-alcoholic bitters differ from traditional bitters?
Non-alcoholic bitters differ from traditional bitters primarily in their alcohol content, not in how they are used. Traditional bitters are typically made by extracting botanicals into high-proof alcohol, which acts as both a solvent and a preservative. Non-alcoholic bitters play a similar flavour-building role using alternative extraction methods and bases, delivering bitterness, aroma, and complexity without adding alcohol to a drink.
Functionally, they are used the same way: in small amounts to balance sweetness, add structure, and enhance overall flavour. The key difference is that non-alcoholic bitters allow cocktails and mocktails to remain completely alcohol-free, making them suitable for zero-proof drinks, mindful drinking, and occasions where alcohol is not desired, without sacrificing the role bitters play in classic cocktail construction.
Can traditional bitters make a drink alcoholic?
Yes, they can, depending on how they are used. Traditional bitters are typically made with a high-proof alcohol base, often between 40-50% ABV. While a few dashes add only a small amount of alcohol to a single drink, that alcohol is still present. For someone avoiding alcohol entirely, even small amounts can matter, especially if multiple drinks are consumed or if bitters are used more generously. This is why traditional bitters are not considered truly alcohol-free, and why non-alcoholic bitters exist as a zero-proof alternative.
What’s the difference between aromatic and orange bitters?
The difference comes down to flavour focus and how they are used in drinks. Aromatic bitters are built around warm spices, herbs, and roots, such as cinnamon, clove, and allspice, along with other botanicals. They add depth, bitterness, and structure, and are commonly used in spirit-forward or stirred-style drinks. Orange bitters highlight citrus peel, often supported by spice and bittering botanicals, adding brightness and lift to a drink. They are frequently used in lighter, citrus-forward cocktails or to sharpen and balance sweeter recipes. Both serve different roles, and many classic recipes rely on choosing the right style rather than treating bitters as interchangeable.
Are Angostura bitters non-alcoholic?
No. Angostura bitters are alcoholic, with an ABV of approximately 44.7%. They are produced using high-proof alcohol and are not considered non-alcoholic or zero-proof.
In classic cocktails, bitters are typically used in very small amounts, often just a few dashes, so their alcohol contribution is minimal in an otherwise alcoholic drink. However, when used in alcohol-free cocktails or during events like Dry January, even a small amount of Angostura bitters introduces alcohol into what would otherwise be a zero-proof beverage.
Non-alcoholic bitters are specifically formulated to replicate the functional role of traditional bitters like Angostura. They add bitterness, balance, and aromatic complexity without contributing any alcohol, making them suitable for alcohol-free cocktails, mocktails, and zero-proof drinking occasions.
Can I substitute non-alcoholic bitters 1:1 for Angostura?
In most cases, yes. Non-alcoholic aromatic bitters can be substituted 1:1 for Angostura bitters in cocktails and mocktails to add bitterness, structure, and aromatic complexity without alcohol.
Like traditional aromatic bitters, non-alcoholic bitters are designed to be used in very small amounts, typically a few dashes at a time. When used this way, they perform the same functional role in a recipe by balancing sweetness, enhancing aroma, and tying flavours together.
That said, there are a few practical considerations:
Flavour profile: Angostura has a very specific spice-forward profile. Non-alcoholic aromatic bitters may lean slightly brighter or drier, depending on the formulation.
Intensity: Some non-alcoholic bitters are slightly softer than high-proof bitters, so you may occasionally prefer an extra dash to achieve the same impact.
Alcohol-free recipes: In zero-proof cocktails, non-alcoholic bitters are the preferred substitute because they preserve the alcohol-free nature of the drink.
Bottom line: For most recipes, non-alcoholic bitters can replace Angostura on a dash-for-dash basis, especially when building alcohol-free or low-alcohol drinks.
