Marmalade Cocktails: A Chef’s Guide
Marmalade Cocktails: A Chef’s Guide
How to use marmalade in cocktails, from Breakfast Martinis and Marmalade Whisky Sours to Negronis, Aperol spritzes and espresso martini-inspired drinks.
Quick Answer
Marmalade is one of the best cocktail ingredients in the kitchen cupboard. A spoonful brings sweetness, citrus aroma, gentle bitterness and silky texture in a single ingredient. It works beautifully in a Breakfast Martini, Marmalade Whisky Sour, Negroni, Aperol spritz or even an espresso martini-style drink. Use around one heaped teaspoon per cocktail, stir it into the citrus juice first, shake hard with ice and fine-strain for a polished finish.
For me, this is one of those lovely kitchen-meets-drinks-cabinet discoveries that makes complete sense once you think about it.
Bartenders spend a great deal of time balancing sweetness, acidity, bitterness and aroma. A good marmalade already brings several of those qualities together. The sugar brings sweetness. The fruit gives citrus brightness. The peel contributes that essential bitter edge. Then the citrus oils add perfume and lift.
In other words, marmalade is not just something to put on toast. It is a remarkably useful cocktail ingredient.
I make quite a few marmalades that have drinks and aperitif flavours woven into them already, from Negroni Blood Orange Marmalade to Seville Marmalade with Italian Orange Bitters. So this page is partly a guide, partly a love letter to marmalade, and partly permission to raid the jar cupboard when cocktail hour appears.
Why Marmalade Works So Well in Cocktails
Shop Lemon Vanilla Vodka Marmalade
Marmalade works in cocktails because it behaves like several bar ingredients at once. It gives sweetness like syrup, citrus brightness and aroma, the perfume of orange peel and a beautiful rounded texture from natural pectin.
That natural pectin gives shaken drinks a silky, lightly rounded texture. It is something plain sugar syrup cannot quite do.
This is why marmalade suits classic cocktail structures so well. It belongs naturally with gin, whisky, Campari, Aperol, vodka, sparkling wine and citrus-led spirits. It can be bright and refreshing, or darker and more grown-up depending on the jar you choose.
Which Marmalade Is Best for Cocktails?
The best marmalade for cocktails is one with real citrus character. A high-fruit, small-batch marmalade will usually give a much more interesting drink than a very sweet commercial jar.
Seville Orange Marmalade.
Classic citrus depth with a clean, elegant finish.
Blood Orange Marmalade.
Softer and deeper, with almost berry-like citrus notes.
Lemon Marmalade.
Fresh, bright and wonderfully lively in lighter cocktails.
Seville Marmalade with Italian Orange Bitters.
Wonderful in spritzes, Old Fashioneds and Negroni-style drinks.
Espresso Martini Marmalade.
A natural partner for vodka, coffee liqueur and dark rum.
If you would like to understand the difference between styles, my guide to the different types of marmalade is a good place to start.
Three Simple Rules for Making Marmalade Cocktails
1. Dissolve the marmalade first.
Stir the marmalade into lemon or lime juice before adding the alcohol. Citrus juice loosens marmalade much better than spirits do.
2. Shake properly.
Marmalade needs a good, vigorous shake with plenty of ice. Give it a little longer than you would a standard cocktail.
3. Fine-strain for a smooth finish.
Double-strain through a fine sieve or tea strainer if you want a polished drink. Or, if you like a little texture, let a few strands of peel come through. Both are perfectly acceptable. It depends whether you want smart cocktail bar or delicious chaos in a glass.
Chef’s Marmalade and Spirit Pairing Guide
| Gin | Seville Orange Marmalade |
| Campari | Negroni Blood Orange Marmalade |
| Aperol | Seville Marmalade with Italian Orange Bitters |
| Vodka | Lemon Vanilla Vodka Marmalade |
| Coffee liqueur | Espresso Martini Marmalade |
| Whisky | Seville, Blood Orange or Italian Orange Bitters Marmalade |
| Sparkling wine | Lemon Vanilla Vodka or Aperol-style marmalade |
Marmalade Cocktail Recipes
Breakfast Martini
The Breakfast Martini is probably the most famous marmalade cocktail. It combines gin, orange liqueur, lemon juice and Seville orange marmalade. Bright, citrusy and very much not breakfast, despite the name.
Ingredients
50ml gin
15ml triple sec or orange liqueur
15ml fresh lemon juice
1 heaped teaspoon Seville orange marmalade
Method
Stir the marmalade into the lemon juice in a cocktail shaker until loosened. Add the gin, orange liqueur and plenty of ice. Shake hard for around fifteen seconds, then fine-strain into a chilled martini glass.
Chef’s note: A classic Seville marmalade is ideal here because it gives the drink that clean citrus finish.
Marmalade Whisky Sour
Marmalade and whisky are old friends. The citrus sharpness cuts through the warmth of the whisky, while the peel adds depth and structure.
Ingredients
50ml Scotch whisky or bourbon
25ml fresh lemon juice
1 heaped teaspoon marmalade
Optional: half an egg white for a silky foam
Method
Dissolve the marmalade in the lemon juice. Add the whisky and egg white if using. Shake once without ice, then add ice and shake again. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
Chef’s note: A darker marmalade works beautifully here. It gives the drink a little more backbone.
Marmalade Negroni
The Negroni is already built around bitter orange flavours, so marmalade deepens the drink rather than changing it completely.
Ingredients
25ml gin
25ml Campari
25ml sweet vermouth
1 level teaspoon blood orange or Seville marmalade
Method
Add everything to a mixing glass with plenty of ice and stir for around forty-five seconds. Strain over a large ice cube and finish with orange peel.
Chef’s note: My Negroni Blood Orange Marmalade was created with those bittersweet aperitif flavours in mind, so this is a natural pairing.
Aperol Marmalade Spritz
This is a very simple drink, but it works beautifully. The marmalade gives the spritz a little more body and citrus depth.
Ingredients
50ml Aperol
75ml prosecco
25ml sparkling water
1 teaspoon Seville Marmalade with Italian Orange Bitters
Ice and an orange slice
Method
Stir the marmalade with the Aperol in the base of a large wine glass until loosened. Add ice, prosecco and sparkling water. Stir gently and garnish with orange.
Chef’s note: My Seville Marmalade with Italian Orange Bitters is inspired by Aperol, so it is practically begging to be stirred into a spritz.
Espresso Marmalade Martini
This is for anyone who likes the idea of a cocktail and pudding being the same thing. Rich, sharp, sweet and slightly ridiculous in the best possible way.
Ingredients
50ml vodka
25ml coffee liqueur
25ml fresh espresso
1 teaspoon Espresso Martini Marmalade
Method
Shake all ingredients hard with ice until very cold and slightly foamy. Fine-strain into a martini glass.
Chef’s note: Espresso Martini Marmalade brings citrus, coffee and sweetness together in one spoonful, which gives this drink a very grown-up dessert quality.
Lemon Vanilla Vodka Spritz
Lemon and vodka are natural partners, while vanilla softens the edges and gives the drink a rounder, more luxurious feel.
Ingredients
40ml vodka
1 teaspoon Lemon Vanilla Vodka Marmalade
15ml fresh lemon juice
100ml prosecco or sparkling water
Ice and lemon peel
Method
Shake the vodka, lemon juice and marmalade with ice. Strain into a glass over fresh ice, top with prosecco or sparkling water and garnish with lemon peel.
Chef’s note: This is bright, soft and very easy to drink. A dangerous sentence, frankly.
Seville Old Fashioned
Marmalade replaces the sugar cube in this version and brings orange flavour at the same time.
Ingredients
50ml bourbon or Scotch whisky
1 level teaspoon Seville orange marmalade
2 dashes orange bitters or Angostura bitters
Orange peel
Method
Stir the marmalade with the bitters and a small spoonful of warm water in a rocks glass until dissolved. Add whisky and a large ice cube, then stir slowly. Finish with orange peel.
Chef’s note: This is a slow evening drink. Best served with no urgent plans.
Paddington Spritz
An alcohol-free marmalade cocktail, because the most famous marmalade lover of all would definitely need the non-alcoholic option.
Ingredients
1 heaped teaspoon marmalade
25ml fresh lemon juice
100ml sparkling water or alcohol-free sparkling wine
Ice and orange slice
Method
Shake the marmalade and lemon juice hard with ice. Strain into a tall glass over fresh ice, top with sparkling water and garnish with orange.
Chef’s note: Bright, citrusy and properly grown-up tasting, even without alcohol.
Best Marmalades for Cocktails
If you are choosing a jar specifically for cocktail making, think about the drink first.
For gin cocktails:
Choose Seville Orange Marmalade.
For Negronis:
Choose Negroni Blood Orange Marmalade.
For Aperol-style drinks:
Choose Seville Marmalade with Italian Orange Bitters.
For vodka cocktails:
Choose Lemon Vanilla Vodka Marmalade.
For whisky cocktails:
Choose a darker Seville or bitter orange marmalade.
For coffee cocktails:
Choose Espresso Martini Marmalade.
This is also why marmalade makes such a good gift for cocktail lovers. A jar feels useful, unexpected and slightly more interesting than another bottle of something predictable. You can browse my marmalade gift boxes if you would like to put together a drinks-inspired selection.
Can You Use Jam in Cocktails Too?
Yes, you can use jam in cocktails, but it behaves differently from marmalade.
Jam brings fruitiness, sweetness and colour, but marmalade brings peel aroma as well. That is why marmalade tends to work especially well in gin, whisky and aperitif-style cocktails. Jam is often better in softer fruit drinks, spritzes and summer cocktails.
So yes, jam has its place. But marmalade has the sharper elbows. In a cocktail, that is often a very useful thing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use marmalade in cocktails?
Yes. Marmalade is an excellent cocktail ingredient because it brings sweetness, citrus aroma, gentle citrus edge and texture in one spoonful.
What is the best marmalade for cocktails?
Seville orange marmalade is the classic choice because it has a bright citrus flavour and a natural finish from the peel. Blood orange, lemon, Aperol-style and espresso martini marmalades can also work beautifully depending on the drink.
How much marmalade should you use in a cocktail?
Use around one heaped teaspoon per drink as a starting point. For drinks such as a Negroni, use a level teaspoon so the marmalade supports the drink rather than taking over.
How do you dissolve marmalade in a cocktail?
Stir the marmalade into lemon or lime juice before adding alcohol. Then shake hard with ice and fine-strain if you want a smoother drink.
What alcohol goes best with marmalade?
Gin, whisky, Campari, Aperol, vodka and sparkling wine all work well with marmalade. The best pairing depends on the style of marmalade you are using.
Explore More Marmalade Guides
Written by
Chef Sarah Churchill
Sarah Churchill is the chef and founder of The Artisan Kitchen.
Sarah has spent her career exploring the balance of sweetness, acidity and fruit. Those same qualities are what make marmalade such a fascinating ingredient behind the bar.
