Hayes, Annie (2016-10-05). "Angostura: a brand history". The Spirit Business. The Spirit Business . Retrieved 2019-11-29. A Brief History of Bitters". smithsonianmag.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2013 . Retrieved 2013-11-03. Flavored liquor– Alcoholic beverage with added flavoring and, in some cases, a small amount of added sugar Broadly speaking, bitters consist of (i) a flavouring agent, (ii) a bittering agent, & (iii) a liquor (or spirit): Strain the mixture through a coffee filter & store in clean labelled dropping bottles. The bitters will keep indefinitely.

Johann named his bitters formulation after the exotic sounding town Angostura, in Venezuela. No one appears to know precisely why the label is too large for the bottle. Pioneering mixologist Jerry Thomas was largely responsible for an increase in the popularity of bitters in the United States when he released How to Mix Drinks or The Bon-Vivant's Companion in 1862. [9] [10] Digestive bitters [ edit ]Liquors or spirits are primarily used to preserve the bitter, although higher proof alcohols can also bring out more flavours from the flavouring & bittering agents. The liquor can be over-proof rum, vodka, brandy, whiskey or gin. In general, the higher the alcohol content of the bitter, the longer its shelf-life. The alcoholic strength of bitters is typical between 28 & 48 %. Combine the rum, orange peel, cardamom pods, caraway seeds & coriander seeds in a clean canning jar. There is no definitive answer as to which type of bitters is better. It really comes down to personal preference. Some people prefer the licorice flavor of Peychaud’s bitters, while others prefer the bitter flavor of Angostura bitters. What does Peychaud’s bitters taste like? Bitters can be made to capture the flavour of herbs, roots & spices offing a medicinal flavour, whereas other bitters are made to capture the aromas of fruits & flowers.

Bittering agents are typically a root or bark of a plant or schrub, such as quassia wood, gentian, lavender, barberry root bark, mint thistle seed, birch leaf & dandelion leaf.

Peychaud's Bitters was first created in the 1830s by a New Orleans apothecary named Antoine Peychaud. A "fifty-fifty" mix of Fee Brothers & Regans Orange bitters mixed together is apparently a favourite of New York Bartenders.