Angostura Bitters is an essential ingredient to many of the classic cocktails we know and love today, such as the Old Fashioned, Manhattan and Pisco Sour to just name a few. With Angostura being the oldest cocktail bitters manufacturer in the world, they rightfully earned their spot behind each and every bar.

Finding a replacement or substitute for angostura bitters can often be very tricky. There are a lot of options to choose from and it can be difficult to depict which one will give you a similar flavor replacement. Here are some options for substituting angostura bitters:

Option 1: Make your own aromatic bitters. Use our DIY Aromatic Recipe to create your very own aromatic bitters at home. Our DIY recipe will make an aromatic bitter that makes a great substitute for angostura.

Option 2: Do a flash infusion. If you are in a hurry, another option is to use a mortar and pestle to grind up whole spices such as coriander, nutmeg shavings, piece of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, gentian and a couple peppercorns. Once the spices and herbs are coarsely ground, add 1 - 2 tablespoons of vodka or rum into the bowl and continue to grind. Let the infusion sit for 5 min and strain out the solids.

Option 3: Use Peychaud's Bitters. Peychaud is also a gentian based bitters that is comparable to angostura, but with a predominant anise aroma combined with a background of mint. Peychaud has also been around for a very long time and is an essential ingredient when making a Sazerac cocktail.

Option 4: Use Bitters Club Aromatic Bitters. When we started making our aromatic bitters, we used angostura as our benchmark. We ensured that we created an aromatic bitter that is dash for dash more robust and flavourful than angostura. We use 26 different all natural fruits, herbs and spices to create an aromatic bitter that will stand out above the rest. We use gentian root as one of our main bettering ingredients.

Option 5: Try another bitters brand. If you are not on a time crunch, the next option is to try different aromatic bitters from other brands. There are quite a few aromatic bitters on the market, so you are bound to find one to your liking. Here are some of our top choices: 

1. Woodford Reserve Bourbon Barrel Aged Aromatic Cocktail Bitters - 2 oz The bourbon aficionados at Woodford Reserve created this unique blend of aromatic bitters and then aged each batch in bourbon barrels to provide fantastic new flavors that you'll never get from other aromatic bitters brands. View on Amazon

2. Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Aromatic Bitters The Fee Brothers have also been around for a long time and creates this unique aromatic from angostura bark, along with other spices and citrus oils. Used in a Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Planter's Punch and many other cocktail favourites. View on Amazon

3. Peychaud's Bitters Aromatic Bitters The taste is sweet with slight hints of cherry, clove, and nutmeg flavors on the nose. They are an important element in the Sazerac Cocktail and can also be used in The Manhattan, The Old-Fashioned and many other classic cocktails. View on Amazon

4. Dashfire Old Fashioned Aromatic Bitters Dashfire's Specialty Bitters feature complex varieties of aromatic botanicals, creating unique and full-flavored bitters that work well in a wide variety of cocktails View on Amazon

5. Strongwater Golden - Old Fashioned Aromatic Craft Cocktail Bitters The Golden Turmeric Bitters from Strongwater is very unique, it combines turmeric, cardamom, sassafras and cinnamon to create an earthy and warming bitter with a myriad of health benefits.  View on Amazon

 

Option 6: Try other flavors of bitters. If you are unable to find a good aromatic replacement for Angostura, another option might be to try another flavor. There are a lot of choices, below are a few that we think are worth giving a try:

1. Angostura Orange Bitters If you enjoy Angostura's Aromatic Bitters its worth trying their orange bitters. Made from its own special recipe, Angostura orange bitters is a complex blend of tropical oranges and spices. View on Amazon

2. Woodford Reserve Spiced Cherry Bourbon Barrel Aged Cocktail Bitters The Spiced Cherry Bitters contains bitterness of natural gentian root, the sweetness of cherry and notes of spice. Its excellent in an Old Fashioned and other bourbon or whiskey cocktails. These bitters have been barrel-aged in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels View on Amazon

3. Woodford Reserve Orange Bitters These bitters have been barrel-aged in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrel. Excellent in an Old Fashioned and other bourbon or whiskey cocktails. Makes a great addition to your mixology arsenal. View on Amazon

 

Give the options a try and let us know what your favourite substitute for angostura is. To learn more about our Aromatic Bitters follow the link below. 

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