🥃 House of Angostura
A company from Port of Spain, Trinidad, known for Angostura aromatic bitters (since 1824) and Trinidad rum.
House of Angostura is a company from Port of Spain in Trinidad, known for Angostura aromatic bitters, based on a 1824 recipe by the German doctor Johann Siegert, and for Trinidad rum. The name comes from the Venezuelan city of Angostura, not from the bark of a tree, which is not an ingredient of the bitters.
History. Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert (1796–1870) was a military doctor serving Simón Bolívar in Angostura, today Ciudad Bolívar in Venezuela. In 1824 he created a blend of herbs and spices that he called Amargo Aromático, 'aromatic bitters'. Despite the name, it contains no angostura bark, and its main bitter component is gentian. In the late 1870s Siegert's sons moved to Trinidad; one of them, Don Carlos Siegert, made the bitters an ingredient in cocktails and cooking. Production is now centred in Port of Spain.
Rum. The company also makes rum. Angostura 1919 is a blend of rum distilled from fermented molasses at the Angostura Distillery. It is 40% ABV and has no age statement, according to Difford's Guide. The name, according to available information, recalls the Fernandes rum from casks of 1919 that were found after a fire in 1932. Under EU Regulation 2019/787, rum is made only from molasses or sugar cane juice and is sold at a strength of at least 37.5%.
Bitters. Angostura aromatic bitters are not an ordinary drink but a flavouring for cocktails and dishes, added in drops. They belong to the bitters category, which is separate from rum.
Why this matters to you. Bitters also contain alcohol, even though they are used in drops. Treat them as alcohol: keep them away from children and do not use them before driving. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1824 — Siegert's bitters (Angostura, Venezuela); late 1870s — Trinidad |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2019/787, Annex I, category 1 (rum) |
| EU category | 1 — rum |
| Raw material | molasses (rum); herbs, spices and gentian (bitters) |
| Distillation method | fermentation of molasses; Angostura Distillery, Trinidad |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | Angostura 1919 — 40% ABV |
What it includes
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 House of Angostura → kind of → 🌴 Rum and sugarcane spirits → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🥃 Ex-bourbon barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Sugar cane and molasses
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Rum, 🌴 Rum and sugarcane spirits
- Similar and different
- 🌿 Bitters and bitter spirits, 🍸 Bitter (bitter-tasting spirit drink), 🥃 Mount Gay, 🥃 Mount Gay, 🥃 Barbancourt, 🥃 Barbancourt, 🥃 Cocktail bitters
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Angostura bitters contain angostura bark?
No. The name comes from the city of Angostura in Venezuela; the main bitter component is gentian.
When did Angostura bitters appear?
In 1824, when Johann Siegert created the recipe as a remedy for stomach ailments.
When did the company move to Trinidad?
In the late 1870s, when Siegert's sons, including Don Carlos, moved there.
What is the strength of Angostura 1919 rum?
40% ABV, according to Difford's Guide.
Who owns House of Angostura?
Sources differ: Difford's lists Angostura Holdings Limited for the 1919 rum, while the producer's profile names Gruppo Campari. Check the company's website.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🧪 Water — ~87% of milk.
- 🌿 Bitters and bitter spirits — Bitter spirits: bitters from 15% vol.; gentian is a distillate of gentian root; bitter liqueurs are sweeter.
Similar
🥃 Kraken Rum · 🥃 Flor de Caña · 🥃 Brugal · 🥃 Mount Gay · 🥃 Bundaberg · 🥃 Cruzan
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Difford's Guide: Angostura Bitters History, Doctor Siegert Story (1824, Angostura, gentian, Angostura Ltd, Port of Spain)
- ANGOSTURA aromatic bitters: Our Story (1824, Dr Johann Siegert, sons moved to Trinidad in the 1870s)
- Difford's Guide: Angostura 1919 Trinidadian Rum (40 % ABV, molasses, Angostura Distillery)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I, category 1 (rum)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)