Watercolor illustration of the Orange Grove cocktail in a rocks glass over one large clear cube, burnt-orange liquid, two thin jalapeño slices on the surface, expressed orange peel resting on the rim, faint jigger outline on a dark ash surface

Cocktail· Tequila Blanco

Orange Grove

The Orange Grove is a shaken cocktail made with jalapeño-infused blanco tequila, lemon juice, orange juice, rich demerara syrup, Angostura bitters, and Arizona Bitters Lab Mi Casa bitters, strained over fresh ice in a rocks glass. It was created by Tyler Strasser at the Mix-Up Bar at T. Cook's restaurant inside the Royal Palms Resort in Phoenix. The drink leads with bright orange and lemon, follows with cinnamon-mole spice from the bitters, and finishes warm from the chile.

4 min EasyRocksShaken

Ingredients

The Shaken Set

Built for shaken drinks

The Shaken Set

Boston Shaker · Hawthorne Strainer · Jigger

$50.00 Save $10.00

Method

  1. Combine the jalapeño tequila, orange juice, lemon juice, demerara, and both bitters in a shaker.
  2. Fill with ice and shake hard for 10 seconds.
  3. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
  4. Garnish with two thin jalapeño slices and an expressed orange peel.

Garnish

Two thin jalapeño slices and an expressed orange peel.

Pro tip

The Mi Casa bitters do a lot of the work here. They are a cinnamon-and-mole blend that pulls the orange and chile together. A second-choice swap is mole bitters with one dash of orange bitters.

Frequently asked

Where does the Orange Grove come from?
It is a Tyler Strasser creation from the Mix-Up Bar at T. Cook's, the restaurant inside the Royal Palms Resort in Phoenix. The drink leans on Arizona's bittering and tequila tradition; the Mi Casa bitters from Arizona Bitters Lab are made an hour up the road.
What can I substitute for the Mi Casa bitters?
A cinnamon-mole bitter is the closest match. A few drops of mole bitters with one dash of orange bitters approximates the cinnamon and chile-chocolate depth. The drink still works without them, just less complex on the finish.
Can I use a different chile in the tequila?
Yes, with a tradeoff. Serrano runs hotter and brighter, habanero will dominate, and poblano fades into the citrus. Jalapeño is what the original spec calls for and gives the most balanced heat against the orange and demerara.

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