IMBIBE
How bottle of bitters became a bar staple
By Sean Nakamura
It never fails: The apprehensive, squinting face that comes with tasting something new is eventually replaced with a look of surprised relief as the feeling of an upset stomach passes.
This is the typical person's introduction to Angostura Bitters, the unique concoction of the Caribbean known to bartenders as the cure-all for stomach queasiness.
While the success rate of cures is amazing, even more astonishing is the number of people who soon find the strange taste curiously appealing. Added to soda or 7Up, a few drops of Angostura bitters brings a wonderfully tempting herbaceous edge to a soda. In cocktails, like the renowned Old Fashioned, it is this singular flavor that drinkers have come to enjoy.
Still, few know what is actually in the bottle or how the drink's colorful history unfolds.
In the early 1820s, a promising young German doctor left his homeland for Venezuela and a position as chief surgeon in the military hospital in the town of Angostura. Dr. Johann Siegert was soon engrossed in his new job and in finding a cure for the brutal tropical fevers and stomach ailments afflicting many of the soldiers who were his patients.
The quest for an elixir led him to use many of the herbs and spices native to the region that were known for their medicinal qualities. The resulting concoction was termed Amargo Aromatico, or aromatic bitters, and was said to provide immediate relief and have instant appeal among the many who sought it as a therapeutic aid.
With a growing following, the brew became a quick commercial success and forced Siegert to eventually leave the military hospital to produce the mixture full-time. As Siegert worked in partnership with his sons, the elixir prospered in the port town of Angostura, mostly as a remedy for seasickness suffered by the transient sailors to the port.
Political strife in the region soon necessitated moving the company to its current home, the Caribbean island of Trinidad. There, the success of the company continued, with the potion incorporated into many cocktails of the era (the term cocktail was once defined as a beverage made of liquor, sugar, water and some type of bitters).
Today, Angostura Bitters is a staple in every bar, and the standard for any recipe calling for bitters. Sales for the company continue to expand as its reputation as a stomach settler and uses as a flavoring agent grow. In soups, stews and sauces, Angostura Bitters adds an exotic Caribbean twist to all recipes.
Amazingly, the blueprint for the brew remains one of the most guarded and least duplicated products in the industry.
Still, it is by no means the only bitters in the bar. Other products, either used in same way as a flavoring agent or drunk like a typical liquor, can also be described as a bitters.
Peychaud's Bitters, originally produced in New Orleans, is a staple in many cocktails of the south, and is called for by name in the Sazerac, a classic cocktail that has seen a recent resurgence. Campari and Fernet Branca, Italian spirits both consumed straight, are two popular bitters drunk as aperitifs.
Bright red with a slightly herbaceous edge, Campari is wildly popular drunk over ice, with soda, tonic or juice mixers. Fernet Branca, with its deep, dark cola brown, is extremely bitter, almost bordering on medicinal, but a wonderful starter for diners preparing the stomach for serious feasting. These products, too, have closely guarded recipes that have remained elusive for counterfeiters to duplicate because of the myriad spices, herbs, barks, seeds, flowers and fruits used to create them.
In cocktails, bitters provide complexity that appeals to the mature palate. Besides the Old Fashioned, other cocktails that use Angostura Bitters include the Champagne Cocktail and sometimes the Manhattan, as well as tropical concoctions like the Tropical Itch and Planter's Punch. Besides being combined with many different mixers, Campari is a key ingredient in classic cocktails such as the Americano and Negroni. And there is the aforementioned Sazerac.
For those who haven't tried bitters, don't wait for an upset stomach. Sipped before any meal, bitters are the perfect aperitif (something like an appetizer cocktail), as they will cleanse the palate and prepare the stomach for dining. If you are already a fan, try introducing a friend to their seemingly magical restorative powers.
Old Fashioned
- 2 oz Bourbon
- 1 sugar cube or 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 oz water
- 1-2 dashes Angostura Bitters
- 1 slice orange
Combine all ingredients in cocktail shaker with cubed ice. Shake vigorously and strain into English highball glass filled with cubed ice. Garnish with another orange slice, maraschino cherry, and lemon twist.
An alternate technique: Muddle sugar and orange together directly in English highball glass, then mix with other ingredients.
