The One Thing I Always Have In My Home Bar

“Umm, try some Ango in it.” I’ve uttered this statement more times than I can count. Angostura has been the saving grace for what could have been many failed cocktails. Bartenders use it to enhance the flavor of a cocktail in the same way that a chef uses salt for a dish. If I’m completely stuck and something seems to be missing, a drop or two of ango usually does the trick.

It works with all the classic cocktails. It works with any spirits. It greets champagne like a friendly neighbor. It works in stews. It alleviates stomach pain. There isn’t anything that this little bottle can’t do.

For the uninitiated, bitters can be intimidating. However, they need not be. These tinctures were initially created as medicinal healers (the stomach ache thing) and then soon after crept their way into the culinary world.

Aromatic by nature, bitters offer complexity to cocktails that wouldn’t be achieved otherwise. There are tons of bitters available, and I keep a decent collection, but the one I couldn’t live without is Angostura. If you’re dabbling with creating cocktails at home, make sure you always have a bottle available. From there, feel free to start exploring with other bitters.