ANGOSTURA® Cocoa Bitters – It’s a bittersweet symphony
Angostura Bitters, so old that they’re considered one of the first Bitter brands ever. For nearly 200 years, the famous Angostura Bitters have been a permanent fixture in bars and kitchens around the world, transforming a classic drink into a sensual experience, a simple meal into a culinary highlight.
Angostura doesn’t have a large portfolio of bitters. The launch of the Angostura Orange Bitters was 13 years ago. Angostura, world renowned for aromatic bitters, has added yet another flavour to its portfolio with its latest innovation ANGOSTURA® cocoa bitters.
This latest innovation is part of Angostura’s bid to promote its local agricultural treasure, cocoa, around the world. The Trinitario cocoa adds a sweet and elegantly balanced flavour to its bitters line which makes it one of its most exclusive innovations in decades.
It’s made using Trinidad and Tobago’s own Trinitario cocoa which is a unique and untapped resource. In fact, the beans from the Trinitario cocoa are well-known globally for their bold characteristics and their depth of flavour and aroma, which command a premium price on the international market. T&T is designated as a 100% fine or flavour cocoa producer, a status it has held for decades. After years of continuous research and trials, the Angostura team led by Master Blender, Carol Homer-Caesar, has created the perfect recipe for this latest product, using T&T’s internationally famous, and indigenous, Trinitario cocoa to produce ANGOSTURA® cocoa bitters. Angostura continues to push the boundaries of flavour, taking inspiration from its history and local heritage.
Ms. Homer-Caesar says: “We believe our locally cultivated Trinitario cocoa delivers a far superior flavour profile to other geographic regions. Our hope is that our new, expertly crafted, cocoa bitters inspires people to create their own signature cocktail and food recipes to savour and enjoy with family and friends.”
Drinking with a good conscience
ANGOSTURA® Cocoa Bitters has a clear focus on local agriculture: the growing demand for cocoa will soon drive production in Trinidad and Tobago. ANGOSTURA® is working with many of the local cocoa farmers to secure their own needs while supporting the growth of the farms.
Now let the Bitters do the talking
ANGOSTURA® cocoa bitters contain top notes of rich, floral and nutty cocoa combined with an intoxicating infusion of aromatic botanicals. Crafted to inspire creativity and experimentation with flavour combinations, this new product is ideal for use in both professional and at-home settings, and for sweet and savoury applications. It can be used to remix classic cocktails or put a luxurious spin on a main dish or sweet treat. It pairs perfectly with sweet vermouth or aged spirits, like whiskey, rum, cognac and tequila, while bringing new layers of depth and complexity to cocktails, such as the classic Espresso Martini.
Barstalkers’ Verdict: I like the raw taste of the cocoa bean paired with the herbal character of the classic Angostura Bitters. Full-bodied, aromatic yet light. Works great in classic cocktails like in this Cocoa Boulevardier, made by Piotr Sajdak (Angostura brand ambassador Germany and brilliant bartender).
Recipe Cocoa Boulevardier
5 cl Angostura 7yo
1.5 cl Campari
2.5 cl sweet vermouth
4 dashes Angostura Cocoa bitters
Stirred, aromatised with orange peel
Nice to know
Do you know why the labels are too big for the small bottles? Somebody ordered them wrong and just used them anyway. And that’s how it unintentionally became a trademark. Typical Caribbean laissez-faire. Cheers 🙂
Source references:
Angostura Holdings Limited // Pictures provided by Andreas Kahle, Volume Spirits GmbH
