Angostura

Company that produces the famous namesake bitter and Rum. Angostura  is a highly concentrated bitter, obtained by infusion of the bark of a plant, Cusparia Febrifuga, to which are added spices such as cloves, gentian root, cardamom, bitter orange extract and cinchona in order to obtain an extremely bitter product. It owes its invention to Dr. Johann Siegert, a Prussian military doctor engaged in the Liberation Army of Simon Bolivar, the founder of the state of Venezuela. Dr. Siegert took care of soldiers suffering from fever and severe intestinal problems. After four years of research and analysis of the virtues of tropical plants, he developed in 1824 his "bitter" to stimulate the appetite and digestion of the sick soldiers. The drink Angostura began to be famous and Siegert decided to produce it on a commercial scale. In 1830 began the first exports to the United Kingdom and Trinidad and, given the success, he decided to resign from the army to devote himself entirely to business. At his death in 1850, the company Angostura was a company of international level and his sons continued the business guarding jealously the secret ingredient presented in all their aromatic drinks. In 1870 the company moved to Trinidad and at the beginning of 1900 Angostura entered also into the Rum market as a bottler of products of external distilleries and, in 1945, created the first distillery owned by Angostura. In the late '60s the Angostura distributed its products in more than 140 countries, being especially renowned for the quality of its Rum. In 1973 it bought the distillery of the Fernandes family thus acquiring new brands to market. Angostura has won several prizes in international competitions as well as the one given by Queen Elizabeth II on a visit to the establishments in 1985, which awarded it an official supplier to the royal house.