Old Fashioned Bourbon and Orange Bitters Ice Cream

This delicious, boozy, old-fashioned bourbon and orange bitters ice cream recipe will give your summer dessert a sophisticated twist. This rich, creamy ice cream features the subtly complex aromatics of ANGOSTURA® orange bitters, while ripples of bourbon and orange pack a flavoursome punch.

This recipe was originally created in collaboration with ANGOSTURA® bitters, but all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Summertime means ice cream!

One of my favourite things about the summer is the ice cream. There’s nothing quite like a bowlful or waffle cone filled with your favourite scoops to cool you down on these humid, sweltering days. Sun optional.

I do like getting creative with my ice cream flavours. There’s always a place for a traditional chocolate or vanilla scoop in my life, but I prefer the out-of-the-ordinary. The American cherry pies. The rum and raisins. The mint chocolate chip cookie doughs.

This summer, I’ve been experimenting with ice cream flavours. I’ve teamed up with ANGOSTURA® bitters to bring you a collection of ice cream recipes featuring their range of bitters.

First up, I’ve recreated the classic Old Fashioned cocktail in ice cream form using ANGOSTURA® orange bitters.

Old-fashioned cocktail

The classic ‘old fashioned’ cocktail is made by muddling sugar with ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters and water. The old fashioned cocktail glass is filled with ice before adding bourbon whiskey and garnishing with orange and a cocktail cherry.

The old-fashioned cocktail dates back to 1806, when it was called a whiskey cocktail. After the recipe underwent many transformations, bar-goers started requesting that it be made the old-fashioned way, and the name stuck.

A key ingredient in the old-fashioned is ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters, but it’s just as good, if not better, if ANGOSTURA® orange bitters are used.

ANGOSTURA® orange bitters also pair well with creamy ingredients, including ice cream, so I was inspired to recreate the classic old-fashioned bourbon and orange cocktail in ice cream form.

It is a sophisticated summertime dessert at its finest, don’t you think?

This custard base for this easy-to-make ice cream is deliciously refreshing and is flavoured simply with the subtly complex aromatics of ANGOSTURA® orange bitters.

Each spoonful of ice cream is punctuated with zesty bourbon and orange ripples made with fresh orange juice, bourbon and a good dash of ANGOSTURA® orange bitters.

ANGOSTURA® bitters – not just for cocktails!

What are ANGOSTURA® bitters?

Gentian (not angostura bark) is the main ingredient in ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters. This is combined with a secret blend of aromatic spices to create a versatile ingredient with wonderful layers of flavour.

ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters began in the town Angostura, Venezuela, in 1824 when founder Dr Johann Siegert created a medicinal tincture for soldier’s stomach ailments. By the 1870s, these aromatic bitters had become an integral ingredient in cocktails and food.

What are Angostura orange bitters?

Launched in 2007, ANGOSTURA® orange bitters were the first innovation from ANGOSTURA® in over 200 years.

The marriage of citrus oils from hand-selected oranges, carefully blended herbs and spices and nearly 200 years of knowledge, ANGOSTURA® orange bitters bring a unique orange flavour to any recipe they are used in. They won the Platinum Medal at the prestigious SIP Awards in 2018.

They contain none of the ingredients found in the original ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters.

What can you do with ANGOSTURA® orange bitters?

ANGOSTURA® orange bitters are a versatile culinary ingredient that can substitute for orange zest in all food and drink recipes, including ice cream.

Use them in orange coconut rice, in a honey drizzle for crostini with cheese or in fiesta meatballs with ancho dipping sauce. They make a wicked creme caramel for a classy dessert, will take your pumpkin pie to the next level and can even be added to maple syrup as a topping for decadent French toast.

They’re also an essential component for a classic martini. Download the official ANGOSTURA® Cocktail Recipe App for more cocktail inspiration.

Meantime… why not try them in some ice cream…

What you’ll need for this bourbon and orange ice cream

(Jump to the full printable recipe)

How to make it…

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First, make the ANGOSTURA® orange bitters custard base…

1. Pour 300 ml full fat milk into a small saucepan and slowly bring it to just before the boiling point – between 180-185 °F (82-85 °C).
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together 3 large free-range egg yolks and 75 grams caster sugar until they are light, pale and drop from the whisk in ribbons.
3. While whisking, pour the hot milk over the beaten egg yolks and sugar. Continue to whisk until combined.
4. Return the custard mixture to medium heat and constantly stir with a wooden spoon until thickened. Do not let the temperature exceed 165 °F/74 °C. When ready, a finger drawn through the custard on the back of the spoon will leave a line. Do not allow the custard to boil.
5. Leave the mixture to cool before adding 1 tsp ANGOSTURA® orange bitters.
6. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before adding 300 ml double cream.

Next, make the bourbon and orange ripples…

1. Heat 100 ml orange juice, 50 grams caster sugar and 1 pinch Shetland sea salt in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer. The sugar will be dissolved by this time.
2. Thicken the mixture with 3 tsp cornflour dissolved in a little water.
3. Pour in 25 ml bourbon whiskey and a dash ANGOSTURA® orange bitters. Mix well and chill.

Then bring them both together…

1. Churn the ice cream base in your ice cream maker as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Spoon half the soft-scoop ice cream into a chilled 1 lb loaf tin and drizzle with half the bourbon and orange sauce.
3. Repeat, finishing with the remaining bourbon and orange sauce (see notes).
4. Using a knife, swirl together the four layers.
5. Garnish with orange zest, if desired, and freeze until solid.

Tips for making this ice cream

• Use good quality free-range egg yolks which are a rich, orange colour. The colour of the egg yolks will affect the finished colour of the ice cream base itself, so the more golden your yolk, the more colour will be in the ice cream.
• Wait until the custard mix has cooled slightly before adding the ANGOSTURA® orange bitters. If you add it too soon the mixture could curdle. This won’t affect the flavour of the ice cream, but it could affect the texture.
• Ensure the container you’re going to assemble your ice cream layers in is chilled. If you use a room temperature container the ice cream will start to melt before you’re done.
• Same goes for the glass tumblers for serving. Chill these in advance too.
• Allow the ice cream to soften slightly before scooping. It’ll be quite hard straight out of the freezer – let it sit for 5-10 minutes or so to soften first.
• If you’ve got leftover bourbon and orange sauce save it to serve as a sauce over the top of your ice cream.

Quick & easy bourbon and ANGOSTURA® orange ice cream recipe

Omit the orange juice and add two tablespoonfuls of bourbon and the ANGOSTURA® orange bitters straight to the custard ice cream base, once it’s cooled. Churn in your ice cream machine as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

Alternatively, make the bourbon and orange sauce, let it cool, and serve it on top of a scoop of the ANGOSTURA® orange bitters ice cream.

How do you make a curled orange peel spiral garnish?

Hold the orange firmly in your hand. Using a sharp knife, cut a thin slice of the peel, taking care not to remove too much of the white pith. Wrap the slice of peel around a wooden spoon handle until needed.

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