Bitters

Angostura Bitters

Angostura aromatic bitters are a 44.7% ABV spirit flavoured with gentian, herbs and spices, made in Trinidad and measured into drinks by the dash. The name comes from the Venezuelan town where, by the company’s own account, Dr Johann Siegert perfected the formula in 1824, not from angostura bark. More of our recipes use it than any other bitters, usually two dashes.

Quick Facts

ABV44.7% ABV

Legal categorySpirit drinkThe Licensing Act 2003 (England and Wales) excludes Angostura bitters by name from its definition of alcohol.

OriginTrinidad and Tobago (first made in Angostura, Venezuela)

Flavour Strengthvery bold

SeasonYear-round

Our keeping timeYears once opened, capped and out of the light.

Storage

Store sealed at room temperature away from direct sunlight. Shelf stability is extremely high due to alcohol content and concentration.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens. Recipes change: check the bottle.

The ingredient

About Angostura Bitters

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

SpiceHerbalBitterWarm

Tasting Notes

Highly aromatic with dominant notes of clove, cinnamon, gentian, and baking spices. Bitter and intense, with a warming, lingering finish.

A Venezuelan name on a Trinidad bottle

Angostura’s account of its origin is that Dr Johann Siegert, who had moved from Germany to Venezuela in 1820 to serve as surgeon general to Bolívar’s armies, perfected a medicinal bitters called Amargo Aromatico by 1824 in the town of Angostura on the Orinoco. By 1875 his sons had moved the business to Trinidad, where it is still made. The UK label lists alcohol, water, sugar, gentian, spices, natural aromas and caramel colour; it does not list angostura bark, which only shares the town’s name.

Two dashes is the usual dose

Of the 58 recipes we publish with Angostura, 33 take two dashes and 14 take one. The Pink Gin and the Queen’s Park Swizzle take four, because the bitters are what colour and flavour them. Sours with egg white get a few drops on the foam, and the Trinidad Sour turns the whole idea round, with 45ml of Angostura as its base.

How our recipes dose Angostura, with a dash at about 0.8ml

Three drops on foam

Volume: Under 0.2ml
Alcohol added: Negligible
Our drinks: Pisco Sour, Honey Sour, Aperol Sour

One dash

Volume: About 0.8ml
Alcohol added: About 0.04 units
Our drinks: Manhattan, Singapore Sling, Bamboo

Two dashes

Volume: About 1.6ml
Alcohol added: About 0.07 units
Our drinks: Old Fashioned, Champagne Cocktail, Brandy Crusta

Four dashes

Volume: About 3ml
Alcohol added: About 0.14 units
Our drinks: Pink Gin, Queen’s Park Swizzle

As the base

Volume: 45ml
Alcohol added: About 2 units
Our drinks: Trinidad Sour

Dose	Volume	Alcohol added	Our drinks
Three drops on foam	Under 0.2ml	Negligible	Pisco Sour, Honey Sour, Aperol Sour
One dash	About 0.8ml	About 0.04 units	Manhattan, Singapore Sling, Bamboo
Two dashes	About 1.6ml	About 0.07 units	Old Fashioned, Champagne Cocktail, Brandy Crusta
Four dashes	About 3ml	About 0.14 units	Pink Gin, Queen’s Park Swizzle
As the base	45ml	About 2 units	Trinidad Sour

England and Wales treat it as a flavouring

The Licensing Act 2003, which governs alcohol sales in England and Wales, names Angostura bitters among the things that are not “alcohol” for its purposes, beside perfume and flavouring essences. Scotland’s 2005 Act carries no such exclusion. None of that changes what is in the bottle: it is 44.7% alcohol, and the company itself sells it for food as well as drinks.

Capped, upright and away from the window

Nothing in it needs refrigerating. What changes is the aroma, which light and air wear down, and the neck, which collects a sticky crust. Recipes that count dashes are easier from a decanted bitters bottle, whose dasher gives the same 0.8ml or so every time.

Using it

Using Angostura Bitters

Usage

Two dashes, about 1.6ml, in most of the drinks that use it: the Old Fashioned, the Champagne Cocktail, the Brandy Crusta. One in a Manhattan or a Singapore Sling, four in a Pink Gin, and three drops on the foam of a Pisco Sour for scent.

Pro Tip

If a drink with Angostura tastes muddy, check the dasher before the recipe. A factory top tipped slowly can let out two or three times the intended amount, and the clove then covers the spirit.

Top Tips

Soak the sugar cube with the dashes before you crush it, so the spice dissolves with the sugar.
On a foamed sour, dot the drops on top after straining. Shaken in, the bitters tint the foam instead of scenting it.
Keep the bottle away from a sunny shelf. The aroma fades in light long before the bitters spoil.
Wipe the neck after use. Dried bitters build up under the cap and make the next dash splutter.

Possible Substitutions

Bitters: Another aromatic bitters; the clove and cinnamon balance will differ
Peychaud’s Bitters: Lighter, with anise and cherry; it changes the drink

Production Method

Spirit flavoured with gentian and other herbs and spices, diluted with water and finished with sugar and caramel colour (E150a), as the UK label lists. The full recipe is not published.

History & Context

Angostura’s own history says Dr Johann Siegert, surgeon general to Simón Bolívar’s armies, perfected a stomach remedy he called Amargo Aromatico in the Venezuelan town of Angostura by 1824. His sons had moved the business to Trinidad by 1875. The company calls the recipe one of its most closely kept secrets.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is in Angostura bitters?

The UK label lists alcohol, water, sugar, gentian, spices, natural aromas and caramel colour. Gentian, a bitter root, carries the bitterness; clove and cinnamon are what most people pick out on the nose. Angostura publishes no full recipe and describes it as one of its most closely kept secrets.

How strong is Angostura bitters?

It is 44.7% ABV, stronger than most gin. In a drink the amount is tiny: one dash is about 0.8ml, roughly 0.04 of a UK unit, and the two dashes in an Old Fashioned come to about 0.07. That is too little to change the strength of the drink, but it is still alcohol.

Is Angostura classed as alcohol in the UK?

For licensing in England and Wales, no: the Licensing Act 2003 excludes Angostura bitters by name from its definition of alcohol, so a shop needs no alcohol licence to sell it. Scotland’s licensing law has no such exclusion. Some retailers still sell it under their own alcohol rules, and the bottle remains 44.7%.

Is there angostura bark in Angostura bitters?

The label does not list it. The name comes from the town where Siegert worked, Angostura on the Orinoco, now Ciudad Bolívar. The bitterness comes from gentian. Some tonic waters do use angostura bark, which adds to the confusion.

How much is a dash of Angostura?

About 0.8ml from a dasher top, which is the measure our recipes assume. The bottle’s own restrictor top pours differently depending on how full it is and how hard you shake, so where the count matters, as in a Pink Gin with four dashes, decant into a proper dasher bottle.

Does Angostura go off once opened?

No. At 44.7% it lasts for years with the cap screwed down and the bottle in a cupboard, and it needs no fridge. Over a long time the aroma softens and a crust can form round the neck. Wipe the neck, and buy another when the clove smells faint.

What can I use instead of Angostura?

Another aromatic bitters is the nearest swap, though the balance of clove, cinnamon and bitterness will differ. Peychaud’s is lighter and leads with anise, and orange bitters bring peel instead of spice; either makes a different drink. In a Trinidad Sour, where Angostura is the 45ml base, there is no substitute.

Is Angostura gluten-free?

Angostura describes its aromatic bitters as gluten-free, kosher and vegan, and the UK label declares none of the 14 allergens. Recipes can change, so anyone with coeliac disease or another allergy should read the bottle they have. The facts panel shows the allergen check we made.

Make something

Made with Angostura Bitters

Often Used With

Updated 10 October 2026

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