Angostura

Angostura generally refers to Angostura bitters, a concentrated aromatic bitter used to flavor cocktails and foods. The name also refers to the town of Angostura in Venezuela, now Ciudad Bolívar, located on the Orinoco River and historically a political center in the early 19th century.

Angostura bitters were created by German physician Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert in Angostura in the early 19th century as a medicinal tonic; the product was exported widely, and production later moved to Trinidad, where Angostura Limited remains the primary producer, based in Port of Spain.

The bitters are a dark, intensely flavored liquid, with a proprietary blend of botanicals including gentian; the exact formula remains a closely guarded secret. The beverage carries about 44.7 percent alcohol by volume.

Angostura is widely used as a flavoring and coloring agent in cocktails, most famously in the Old Fashioned and the Manhattan. The company also produces Angostura Orange and other bitters.