Angostura bitters: what they are and how to use them

Angostura bitters are a concentrated, spiced cocktail flavoring added a dash at a time, not poured like a drink. The best-known bottle is the aromatic, and CBC Liquors in Westford carries it alongside orange and cocoa. You can see what is in stock today on the Angostura brand page.

What are Angostura bitters?

Angostura bitters are a cocktail flavoring: a strongly flavored, spiced, bitter liquid made by infusing botanicals. You add them to a drink a few drops or a dash at a time. They are not meant to be poured as a drink on their own, and the small bottle and narrow dasher top are built for that.

The original aromatic bitters is the one most recipes mean when they say "bitters" without anything else. It tastes of warm spice, a little clove and cinnamon, with a bitter finish. That bitterness is the point. A teaspoon of sugar and a measure of whiskey can taste flat or sweet, and a few dashes pull the drink into balance.

The brand also makes flavored versions, and orange and cocoa are the ones you will see most often alongside the original. You can browse everything we have from the maker on the Angostura brand page, which lists our best sellers from that brand first, in stock today.

Which Angostura bitters does CBC Liquors carry?

We carry four Angostura listings. Angostura Aromatic Bitter and Angostura Aromatic Bitters are the classic spiced bitters that most cocktail recipes call for. The two listings are separate entries in our catalogue, so check the product page for the exact bottle details before you order.

The other two are flavored. Angostura Orange Bitters adds citrus peel brightness, and Angostura Cocoa Bitters adds a dry, chocolate-like depth.

Stock changes through the day, so the brand page is the best place to see what is on the shelf right now. If you are heading to the store at 142 Littleton Rd in Westford, you can check there first and save yourself a trip.

How do you use Angostura bitters in a cocktail?

Start with the classics. An old fashioned is a measure of whiskey, a little sugar and a couple of dashes of aromatic bitters, stirred over ice and served with a strip of orange peel. A Manhattan is whiskey and sweet vermouth with a dash or two of the same bitters. In both drinks, the bitters tie the spirit and the sweetener together.

Bitters also work in simpler drinks. A sugar cube soaked with a few dashes of aromatic bitters at the bottom of a flute, topped with sparkling wine, makes a champagne cocktail. A dash in a gin and tonic or a rum and soda adds spice and depth without changing the drink much.

Dash by dash is the rule. Add a couple, stir, taste, and add another only if the drink needs it. It is much easier to add more than to take it out.

What is the difference between aromatic, orange and cocoa bitters?

Aromatic bitters are the all-rounder. Their spice and gentle bitterness suit dark spirits and sweet drinks, which is why they appear in so many older recipes.

Orange bitters lean toward citrus. They sit well in drinks built on gin, and in whiskey drinks where you want a brighter edge than the aromatic gives. Many bartenders use both in a Manhattan or an old fashioned, a dash of each.

Cocoa bitters are the specialist. Their dry chocolate note suits aged rum and rich, stirred drinks, and they pair well with coffee and orange flavors. If you are buying one bottle to start, the aromatic is the practical choice. Add orange or cocoa when you want to change the character of a drink you already like.

What spirits and mixers go with bitters?

Bitters are an ingredient rather than a drink, so you need something to put them in. For the old fashioned and Manhattan, a bourbon gives a sweeter, rounder drink, and a rye gives a drier, spicier one. Both sit under our wider whiskey range if you want to compare styles.

For longer drinks, look at our mixers. A few dashes in soda water with a slice of citrus is a simple way to use a bottle, and bitters can sharpen a rum or gin drink built on tonic or ginger beer.

If you are making a drink for a gathering, the same few ingredients scale easily. Our party planner is there if you want help working out what to bring home.

How long does a bottle last, and how should you store it?

A little goes a long way. Because you use bitters by the dash, one bottle makes a large number of drinks, and it keeps well compared with most other things on a home bar.

Store it like you would any spirit: upright, with the cap tight, somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight. A cupboard or the bar shelf is fine. There is no need to refrigerate it.

It is also worth keeping the bottle with your other bar ingredients, away from children. As with anything that contains alcohol, it is for adults 21 and over.

How can you get Angostura bitters from CBC Liquors in Westford?

You can walk in to CBC Liquors at 142 Littleton Rd, Westford, MA 01886. We are open Sunday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Pickup runs on the same hours.

We also offer delivery and shipping. Delivery hours are Sunday 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM, Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 9:30 PM. Our delivery pages cover nearby towns such as Chelmsford, Acton and Lowell, and the delivery areas page lists the rest.

Our customers rate us 4.7 out of 5 across 339 Google reviews. If you are not sure which bitters suits the drink you have in mind, ask at the counter and we will point you to the right bottle.