The angostura or also known as the angostura bitters, is a preparation made from gentian and different natural ingredients that serves to flavor both food and drinks, especially in this last use, in which it is given more prominence.
History
Angostura bitters was invented by a German doctor named Benjamin Siegert in the year 1824 , product of a series of investigations with aromatic herbs, it is prepared with gentian violet and some American aromatic herbs, the end of this preparation was medicinal, Benjamin Siegert I was looking for a remedy against dizziness. But the fame of this “remedy” does not come precisely by curing the dizziness, the bitterness of angostura becomes famous by curing some stomach ailments derived from cholera. It all starts right in the city of Angostura (a city that was once called Santo Tomas de Nueva Guayana, but due to its narrow passage with the Orinoco river, it was renamed), this city was hit by the cholera disease, and the The young doctor’s remedy appeased this evil, fame quickly spread and he was known as “Angostura’s bitter”.
Applications
Angostura bitters are no longer a remedy to become a cocktail ingredient , they usually crown some emblematic whiskey cocktails such as Manhattan and Old Fashioned , and others from Pisco such as Pisco Sour.
The function of angostura bitters in cocktails is to give it that special bitterness that some preparations need, in a kind of bitter. Today the angostura bitters are present as an inevitable ingredient in all the best bars in the world.
