Meet Genevieve Brazelton, the woman behind The Bitter Housewife and maker of one of Portland’s favorite orange bitters.
When it comes to hosting and toasting celebrations or just serving up a casual Sunday brunch, you want a quick and easy drink recipe you can make in a flash.
To save you the hassle of finding one, we enlisted the help of our friend and longtime partner, Genevieve Brazelton of The Bitter Housewife in Portland, OR.
You see, Genevieve, a restaurant and PR industry veteran, is on a mission to demystify the whole cocktail and mocktail-making process. To de-stress it and make it fun. She believes that a good drink is not about honing a bartender’s vocabulary or a mixologist's process but about using quality ingredients and making what you like—because there is no right or wrong way to enjoy a tasty drink.
That mission led to The Bitter Housewife—a company she created for her and her whiskey-drinking friends to enjoy a mixed drink their own way. And lucky us, we get to get in on the action, starting with The Bitter Housewife Orange Bitters.
Handcrafted in small batches with high-quality whole ingredients, The Bitter Housewife Orange Bitters is packed full of fresh orange flavor, baking spices, and a touch of Earl Grey tea, with no artificial anything. And the best part? It plays a starring role in the cocktail recipe she created just for us.
Ready to mix things up? See the recipe below!
Earl Grey Spritz
Makes 8 (6 oz) servings
Ingredients:
¾ cup New Seasons Orange Juice
¾ cup Earl Grey-infused honey syrup*
1 oz The Bitter Housewife Orange Bitters
3 (9 oz) bottles Betty Buzz Ginger Beer
8 oz soda water
Orange slices for garnish
Directions:
Combine orange juice, syrup, bitters, and soda water in a pitcher and mix gently. Then, slowly pour in the ginger beer (if you pour it down the side of the pitcher, it will foam less). To serve, pour it into a wine glass with a few ice cubes and garnish with an orange slice. You’ll want to make this one just before guests arrive, so the bubbles stay bright.
* Earl Grey-infused honey syrup: Combine ½ cup honey and ½ cup water in a small saucepan over low heat. Bring to a low simmer and stir to dissolve honey in the water. Remove from heat, add one Earl Grey tea bag (we suggest Lord Bergamot from Steven Smith Teamaker or one tbsp of loose tea), and let it sit for five minutes. Remove the tea bag or strain the loose tea.
Of course, when Genevieve creates a drink recipe, she includes a tasty variation, because as we’ve learned, there is no one way to enjoy a delicious drink.
For a boozy version of the Earl Grey Spritz, simply substitute one (750-ml) bottle of sparkling wine (such as Cava brut or Champagne) for the ginger beer.
Cheers!