Angostura is a concentrated bitter used for food and drink, composed of water, alcohol, gentian root and vegetable extracts.

Although today it is produced in Trinidad and Tobago, it was originally made by a German Surgeon-General at a military hospital in the town of Angostura, Venezuela to help treat forms of indigestion and stomach aches. Production was moved to its current location in 1875 due to instability in Venezula at the time.

While it contains nearly 45% alcohol content, as a bitter it is not classified as an alcoholic beverage in the UK. It is recognisable for its oversized label and small bottle and has become a cornerstone of most bars.

Angostura bitters feature strong flavours of coffee, jasmine, mint, cloves, cinnamon, cherry, orange and lemon zest. It is highly concentrated and hence very seldom drunk on its own and always in small quantities.

One use of Angostura was to mask the bitter taste of quinine in tonic water. When mixed with gin, it became known as the Pink Gin. Today it is used in a very large range of cocktails, such as Gin Punch, El Burro and Adam & Eve.