You might have one of the distinctive small bottles with the oversize label in your drinks cupboard, have heard its name from your trusted your bartender or seen it in your favourite cocktail recipes: we're talking Angostura, the familiar, yet mysterious and timeless small brown bottle of aromatic bitters. If you have always wondered what is Angostura bitters, except for a kick in your cocktails, find out all you need to know about this historical bitters, what it contains, and to how to use it in the kitchen.
What is Angostura Aromatic Bitters?
Angostura is a concentrated bitter made from a mixture of herbs and spices: extracts of grasses, roots, leaves and fruits dissolved in alcohol. The aromatic bitters, among other things, balances drinks, cleanses the palate and facilitates digestion.
Once experimented with exclusively for medical purposes, it was not until the middle of the nineteenth century in London, during the World Fair, that the drink began to be used for the production of cocktails composed first of all with Gin.
The actual recipe of Angostura is a closely guarded secret, although it's said to contain more than 40 ingredients, including exotic spices and fruits. However, what is certain is that it is a mixture of citrus fruits that contains vegetable extracts, cardamon and gentian. The whole bitter and alcoholic mixture is 44.7% proof.
Where is Angostura from?
Photo : © FB/ Angostura Museum and Barcant Butterfly Collection
Angostura is produced on the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago where only very few people inside the factory producing the bitters know the exact ingredients and the precise quantities that go into the liquid. High secrecy surrounds the process where no one is allowed to take pictures during the different processes where it is said that even the original recipe has been filed for security in a New York bank.
Fascinating Fact: the oversized label which serves as the trademark of Angostura bottles was actually due to an initial typography mistake. The resulting intrigue and interest generated by the unusual look attracted so much consumer interest they decided to keep it as it was.
Angostura In Drinks
When Angostura first arrived in London in the late 1800s it was mixed into cocktails, usually those with a gin base. Today the most famous cocktails made with Angostura include: Old Fashioned, Manhattan and Singapore Sling.
Try this recipe for an Army and Navy Cocktail.
How to use Angostura in the Kitchen
Angostura is not just the reserve of cocktails, it can also be successfully used in the kitchen. It pairs perfectly with fish, particularly shrimp and shellfish, when the herbaceous liquid is used as a marinade to impart a bitter and citrus tone.
Angostura is also an excellent ingredient used with meat, and roasts in particular, a little 'as if it were placed at the end of the vinegar to give a hint of acidity.
The aromatic bitters are equally good in sauces accompanying main courses as well as desserts, in place of the classic rum or other strong spirits. It also works well in cakes, especially with fruit, simply served on a good scoop of vanilla ice cream, or even in this unusual recipe for angostura glazed pop corn as a decidedly adult bar snack.
Foto: ©Food52.com
The Angostura Aromatic Bitters site is full of other suggestions for alternative recipes for appetizers and sauces - have a look and try something new.
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