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Angostura (Angostura) – strong odorous tincture of red-brown color, containing 45% alcohol. Unlike other similar drinks, this is a very young product, and we know exactly the name of its inventor and the year of production of the first batch. According to the characteristics of angostura, it belongs to bitters – bitter herbal tinctures. The exact recipe is kept in the strictest confidence, but it is known that the composition includes gentian, ginger, angelica, cinchona bark, cloves, cardamom and more than a dozen roots, spices and herbs.
History
Angostura bitter was invented in 1824 by Dr. Johan Gottlieb Siegert as a remedy for fever, stomach pain and hiccups. The medicine was so popular that in 1930 mass production was launched. Despite the fact that this bitter has become popular all over the world, it is made by only one company (knowing the secret recipe) located in Trinidad and Tobago – House of Angostura.
The tincture was named after the Venezuelan city where Herr Siegert lived, and not at all because of the angostura plant, which, by the way, is not included in the composition.
For production, the necessary herbs are taken (it is known that Dr. Siegert used local plants, he did not order anything from abroad), crushed and insisted on alcohol for three months, then filtered.
Angostura is easy to spot on the shelves of alcoholic supermarkets: it differs from other drinks in a disproportionately large label protruding beyond the edges of the bottle. There are several versions of the appearance of this design. The most popular one says that two different people were responsible for the container and the label: the employees acted in parallel, without consulting each other, and as a result, they did not fundamentally match in size. It was too late to change something, so this design remained a characteristic “trick”.
How to drink angostura
This bitter is not drunk in its pure form, but added to coffee, pastries, and a variety of dishes. It has become an indispensable ingredient in many cocktails, in particular such famous ones as Manhattan, Pink Gin, Old Fashioned, Diablo. Previously, angostura was often added to gin with soda (mineral water).
In 2007, Angostura Orange appeared on the market – a drink with a characteristic orange flavor, and in 2009 a scandal erupted over rumors that the famous tincture was going to be discontinued. Indeed, that year the batches of angostura were smaller than usual, but the manufacturer explained this by the lack of containers and assured drink fans that no changes were expected. It’s been 7 years, and the tincture is still popular and quite affordable (although, of course, not as common as wine or beer).
How to replace angostura in cocktails
Nothing, otherwise this drink would not be so unique. Despite the fact that cocktails require only 2-3 drops of angostura, it is absolutely indispensable. However, in a desperate situation, you can use another bitter (for example, Riga Balsam or Regan’s), but the taste will be different from the “canonical” one.
The best angostura cocktails
Manhattan Mix two parts of rye whiskey with one part of sweet red vermouth, add 1-2 drops of angostura. Whiskey can be replaced with bourbon, then the proportions with vermouth will be 3:1. Decorate the drink with a cocktail cherry and serve with ice.
Pink Jean. Add a few drops of angostura to a chilled Plymouth gin (never London Dry), stir well and serve with a lemon wedge.
Old fashioned. Drop two drops of angostura on a sugar cube, wait until it is saturated with bitters, add a little bit of soda, stir into a homogeneous sweet mass, add whiskey. Serve with ice, lemon zest and cherry.
Diablo. Mix 4 parts dark rum, 1 part dry vermouth, 1 part Cointreau and 2 drops of angostura in a shaker. Serve in whiskey glasses garnished with an orange swirl.
