Gourmet Hacks: 5 BEST Peychaud’s Bitters Substitutes

Are you looking for a suitable substitute for Peychaud’s Bitter in your cocktail recipes?

This article will provide you with 5 alternatives to accurately replicate the flavor of this popular cocktail ingredient.

You can now serve up a delicious and unique drink without worrying about missing that special ingredient.

What’s Peychaud’s Bitter?

If you’re not familiar with Peychaud’s Bitter, it is an American made aperitif, popularly used in classic cocktails.

Native to New Orleans and created by Antoine Amédée Peychaud in the 19th century, this drink was initially served neat as a mood elevator.

It has a vibrant shade of pink with a tart and fruity flavour, giving it its traditional bittersweet taste.

It’s composed from five different ingredients; gentian root, clove, aniseed and African cubeb peppers.

As a powerful used spirit when preparing drinks, one needs to use it sparingly; too much may overpower the taste of your libation.

You can incorporate Peychaud’s Bitter just after combining the other cocktail ingredients; pouring or spooning the top note to bring out full-bodied complexity while maintaining balance among the other flavours.

All things considered, this infamously bitter beverage can be used to bring subtlety and depth to any cocktail recipe– regardless if it’s a shaken or stirred classic.

5 Best Peychaud’s Bitters Substitutes to Consider

If you don’t have access to or would rather substitute for Peychaud’s Bitter for creating cocktails at home, there other bitters that that can be used instead.

While no single substitute will perfectly reproduce the complex taste and aroma of Peychaud’s Bitter, these five options can add some spice and complexity to drinks similarly:

1 – Angostura Bitters

Angostura bitters are one of the most popular bitters available and are generally readily available in most stores.

These bitters are a great substitute for Peychaud’s Bitters as they offer an intense flavor with a slight sweetness.

Angostura is made from a combination of spices, herbs and barks, resulting in a well-rounded and full-bodied flavor.

For this reason, it works best with brighter citrusy cocktails such as Margaritas and Gin Tonics.

It can also be used in place of Peychaud’s for drinks like Manhattans or whiskey sours to provide depth and complexity to classic cocktails.

2 – Suze Bitters

Suze Bitters are a popular and common substitute for Peychaud’s.

This is because it shares many of the same ingredients, like gentian root and anise, that give it a similar flavor profile.

It adds subtle notes of fruit, including orange and other citrus flavors, to your cocktails.

However, this bitter should be used with caution as some find that it has a somewhat medicinal aftertaste.

If you find this off-putting then Angostura bitters might be a better option.

3 – Boker’s Bitters

Boker’s Bitters is a unique and flavorful bitter that was originally crafted in 1828.

Its key ingredient is gentian root extract, which gives Boker’s Bitters its rich, sweet taste.

Boker’s Bitters has a close resemblance to Peychaud’s Bitter, making it an ideal substitute for any recipe that requires the latter.

Other spices in Boker’s include blackberry leaves, cardamom, thyme and orange peel.

This bitters can be used in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks alike and is sure to bring a distinct earthy flavor to your favorite cocktails.

4 – Old Fashioned Bitters Company

The Old Fashioned Bitters Company is an artisanal bitters maker based in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Their bitters are made from a mixture of wormwood and bark, along with additional spices and a hint of citrus.

They create four different varieties, each one offering its own unique flavor:

• Original Formula – This formula has been crafted using traditional ingredients such as gentian root, cinnamon, cinchona bark, and cardamom for a rich and balanced flavor profile. The subtle sweetness balances the earthy and spicy notes beautifully.
• Cranberry & Anise – The Cranberry & Anise formulation offers tart cranberry notes combined with warm anise to create a complex experience that is both sweet and savory at once. It’s perfect as a stand-alone bitter or combined with other flavors in recipes.
• Aromatic – The Aromatic blend uses allspice, clove, coriander seed, star anise, fennel seed among other herbs to create this aromatic bitter blend. Notes of warmth dance throughout the flavor profile making it perfect for slow sipping or in cocktails.
• Citrus & Spice – With zesty lime peel joined by Allspice Dram, mace blade and several other spices this Citrus & Spice blend will bring freshness to your next cocktail creation whether it’s sweet or tart.

5 – Old Forester Hummingbird Bitters

Old Forester Hummingbird Bitters is a bourbon-based bitter that takes its name from the Hummingbird, the official state bird of Kentucky, where Old Forester Whiskey has been made since 1870.

It’s made from sour mash bourbon distilled from corn and wheat and then steeped with orange peel, orris root, cinnamon, cloves, lavender and other herbs for an intense flavor.

The bitter does not contain Peychaud’s as a base but can easily be substituted for it in any recipe that calls for it including classic cocktails like the Sazerac or Rye Manhattan.

Old Forester Hummingbird Bitters has a deep orange color with notes of oak and sophisticated herbal tones on the nose and a rich caramel sweetness on the finish.

Conclusion

Peychaud’s Bitter is an essential ingredient in many classic cocktails such as the Sazerac, Vieux Carré, and Pink Gin.

It’s a unique combination of clove-like phenolics and bitter herbal notes, making it a great addition to any drink.

If you find yourself without Peychaud’s Bitter at home for your cocktail-making needs, there are some worthy alternatives that will stand in for it.

These substitutes can provide the same depth of flavor and complexity as Peychaud’s Bitter but each one may have its own subtle nuances that will alter the taste of your drink.

Experimenting with different combinations or even replacing an equal part of each ingredient can help you find the right one to achieve your desired flavor profile.