Not so long ago, a domestic consumer of strong distillates got acquainted with the drink under the mysterious name “Angostura”. What is it, our article will tell. You will learn the interesting story of Angostura, as well as how to drink this bitter concentrated tincture. Some users were lucky enough to get acquainted with the rum "Angostura". Can it be classified as bitters? This is a completely different drink, and, unfortunately, because of the same name, confusion often arises. At first, bitter was used as a medicine and contains in its composition an extract from the angosturov tree (healing galipey). Well, rum, like any drink in this category, is made from cane.
Bitter story
In 1824, Johann Siegert, a military doctor from Germany, arrived in Venezuela. He joined the rebels in their struggle for independence from Spain. The doctor noted that many Europeans in Venezuela have stomach upsets and fever due to intolerance to the tropical climate. Siegert began to seek salvation and experiment with local plants that were considered healing by local tribes. So, in 1830 a new recipe for the drug “Angostur” was born. What is this and how to apply it, the Europeans learned a little later. Initially, this potion was prescribed for acclimatization in tropical wet heat. Then it was appreciated by passengers of ocean vessels suffering from seasickness. But gourmets soon liked the taste of medicine. Especially the popularity of Angostura increased in the second half of the nineteenth century, when various alcoholic cocktails became fashionable.
Angostura - what is it?
The composition of this bitter is quite complicated. The main ingredient is Galipeya officinalis. To relieve fever and prevent tropical fever, Dr. Siegert mixed in the drink and bark of the quinine tree. These two components add bitterness to Angostur bitter. What is quinine? Before the invention of penicillin, it was the only disinfecting medicine and a real salvation from malaria. Even the tincture included medicinal plants such as a pharmaceutical angelica and gentian roots. And to improve the taste and smell of the medicine, the doctor included various spices in it. This is orange zest with ginger, and cinnamon with nutmeg, and cardamom with cloves. And for a pleasant smell, sandalwood flowers are added to the drink. All these ingredients are finely divided and insisted on alcohol for three months. The proportions and the exact recipe are still kept secret.
Rum "Angostura"
We must pay tribute to the namesake of the legendary drug. This rum is produced in the country of Trinidad and Tobago. We are not talking about any Angosturovsky tree. Like any Caribbean rum, it is made from sugar cane. Unlike bitter, which has a rich color of tea leaves, it has a light shade. Three-year-old rum is generally transparent, like vodka. Only the aged drink has a caramel color with golden reflections. There is a difference between bitter and rum in the fortress. The first has 44.7 degrees, and the second has the classic forty. And of course, two drinks are very different in taste. Made from the juicy lower parts of the reed, Angostura rum contains a lot of sugar. It has a perfectly balanced taste with hints of fruit and oak wood. And in the bouquet notes of spices, apples and caramel are heard.
How much is
Venezuelan balm is not so often found on the shelves of our stores. Only occasionally is it delivered to specialized Moscow alcohol shops. Such bitter is relatively expensive - about nine hundred rubles for a small bottle of one hundred milliliters. Much cheaper than his full namesake - the white rum "Angostura". The price for a seven-milliliter bottle is one thousand two hundred and sixty rubles. This is if rum is aged for three years. The price of a five-year drink rises to two thousand. Naturally, the cost depends on the aging time. The most expensive rum brand Angostura rum 1824, ripened in oak barrels for twelve years, is estimated at six thousand seven hundred thirty rubles per bottle of 0.7 liters.
Bitter Cocktails
They just don’t drink balm. Unless you remember that bitter was once a cure for malaria and indigestion. This "Angosturu" in the form of rum can be sipped from the glass in its pure form, adding perhaps a couple of ice cubes. A variety of cocktails are made with balm. Just a couple of drops - and the drink appears rich spicy-bitter taste. Here are recipes that use Angostura bitter. These cocktails usually contain some kind of alcohol. For example, Diablo is a mixture of 60 milliliters of dark rum, 15 ml of vermouth and Cointreau and two drops of bitter. The simplest cocktail recipe is Old Fashion (Old Fashioned). It is necessary to dip two refined cubes into a glass, soak them with "Angostura", pour whiskey. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved and add crushed ice.