Qu'est-ce que c'est: Angostura Bitters
By Molly Durham in Food on Dec 2, 2011 7:00PM
Even avid bar-goers have sipped them, read about them in ingredient lists and enjoyed them without quite knowing what they are. Angostura Bitters, while common in cocktails, can be a mystery. Well no longer!
Let's start by explaining bitters in general. Bitters are simply alcohol flavored with herbs, spices or extracts. These flavors can range from orange peel and rhubarb to bark and flowers. Usually with an ABV of about 40-45%, they're bitter in taste and non-potable, meaning they're not meant to be consumed alone. Most bitters are made by a process that involves macerating herbs and spices with alcohol, then filtering and bottling. They can be used in cooking, but you're definitely most likely to see them on a cocktail list. They add balance and depth to a cocktail, smoothing together the flavors. They're the x factor that makes a good drink great.
Angostura bitters are one of the most popular varieties, commonly found in the Old Fashioned. Last week we reviewed Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All by Brad Thomas Parsons, which explains even further about the world of bitters, and this particular kind is the "salt and pepper" of the cocktail world. They're the classic go-to for anyone making a serious cocktail. According to Angostura Bitters' site, these particular bitters came about when German doctor Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert was in Angostura, Venezuela in the 1800s. He created this secret blend of tropical herbs and plants while trying to cure illnesses. Some of the ingredients in this blend include water, vegetable flavoring extracts, and a bitter root called gentian, though the full list of over 40 ingredients is still kept secret. One fun fact about this brand involves the oversized label. No, you didn't get a faulty one, they're all like that. It's said that after a mistake of was made when estimating bottle size, the company just decided to stick with it and it eventually became a trademark.
So if they started out as a cure-all, they're healthy for you and will cure maladies, right? That's how we like to think of it. Try the Thick as Thieves at Violet Hour or the Purple Fizz at The Barrelhouse Flat. But our very favorite drink with Angostura bitters is the Old Fashioned at The Whistler. It will change your whole drinking world, trust us.