Angostura

The House of Angostura is a Trinidad and Tobago producer best known for Angostura Aromatic Bitters, a concentrated flavoring whose recipe has not changed since its first bottle in 1824. It is also the largest rum producer in Trinidad and Tobago. The Sentinel Room's Reserve Whiskey Library carries Angostura Aromatic Bitters, a fixture of the classic cocktails poured in the lounge.

History & Heritage

The story begins in 1824 with Dr. Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, a German-born surgeon who had settled in the town of Angostura (now Ciudad Bolivar) on the Orinoco River in Venezuela. After several years studying tropical herbs and plants, Siegert arrived at a blend he called "Amargo Aromatico," or aromatic bitters, originally intended to aid digestion. By 1830 he was exporting the bitters to England and the Caribbean. After Siegert's death, his sons relocated the business to the nearby island of Trinidad, a move dated to 1875 by the company's own account and to 1876 in some records, and the operation has remained in Trinidad and Tobago ever since. The company marked its 200th anniversary in 2024. Today the House of Angostura is headquartered at the corner of Eastern Main Road and Trinity Avenue in Laventille, Trinidad and Tobago.

Angostura Limited operates as a subsidiary of the publicly listed Angostura Holdings Limited, traded on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange. As of July 2026, its two largest shareholders are Rumpro Co Ltd, held through CL World Brands Limited within the CL Financial group, and the state-created National Investment Fund Holding Company Limited. The word "Angostura" refers to the Venezuelan town where the bitters were first made and is not connected to the botanical of a similar name.

The Whiskey

Angostura does not produce whiskey. Its output is aromatic bitters and rum, and it operates its own distillery in Trinidad. The signature product, Angostura Aromatic Bitters, is a high-strength concentrate used by the dash rather than poured as a spirit, and it is a defining ingredient in the Old Fashioned, the Manhattan, and countless other classic cocktails. The company also makes orange and cocoa bitters and Amaro di Angostura. On the rum side, the house has produced rum for more than 75 years, with a range that includes Angostura 1919, the flagship international label, the 12-year Angostura 1824, the 15-year Angostura 1787 launched in 2016, the ultra-premium Legacy, and Angostura White Oak, a leading standard rum in Trinidad and Tobago.

Why It Matters

Few products are as quietly essential to a cocktail lounge as Angostura Aromatic Bitters. Its unchanged 1824 formula makes it one of the oldest continuously produced recipes in the drinks trade, and it appears behind nearly every bar that takes classic cocktails seriously. Angostura's rums have collected international recognition, including gold medals at the World Spirits Awards and honors at the International Wine and Spirit Competition and the Spirits Business Rum and Cachaca Masters. For a whiskey library built around the Old Fashioned, a bottle of Angostura Aromatic Bitters is not a garnish but a foundation.

Visiting the Distillery

The House of Angostura offers public tours at its Laventille facility. The two-hour Angostura Experience, open to guests 18 and over, covers the on-site museum tracing the company's history, historic stills, art galleries, and the Barcant Butterfly Collection of more than 5,000 specimens, and concludes with product sampling. A Premium Angostura Experience adds cocktails paired with hors d'oeuvres.