Angostura® Aromatic Bitters
Angostura bitters, often simply referred to as angostura, is a concentrated bitters for food and beverages made of herbs and spices by House of Angostura in the country of Trinidad and Tobago.
The recipe was developed as a tonic by German Dr. Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, a Surgeon General in Simon Bolivar's army in Venezuela, who began to sell it in 1824. Siegert was based in Ciudad Bolívar which was then known as Angostura, and used locally available ingredients. Perhaps he drew on the botanical knowledge of the local Amerindians, although the single ingredient named on the label is gentian. The exact formula is a closely guarded secret, with only five people knowing the whole recipe.
As Angostura bitters are extremely concentrated, they are not normally drunk purely, but used to flavour drinks and food; usually only a few drops or dashes are used.