# What ELSE do you use angostura bitters for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 14, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464 "2009-03-14T23:41:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/1 "2009-03-14T23:41:07Z")
Okay, it goes in manhattans and old fashioneds, I know. But I just bought a bottle, and I calculate that it’ll take me approximately nine hundred billion cocktails to finish it off. The label alleges that it’s good in sauces, pies, and soups. I’m a bit dubious, considering the label also claims it cures flatulence. Has anyone here ever used it for anything besides cocktails? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/2 "2009-03-15T00:51:55Z")
Well, champagne cocktails too. But for cooking, try [http://www.angosturabitters.com/appetizers.htm](http://www.angosturabitters.com/appetizers.htm) For others, just google “bitters cooking” ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/3 "2009-03-15T01:27:39Z")
About twenty years ago I was a frequent patron of the EM club at Beeman Center on Subase, Pearl Harbor. Particularly on karaoke Thursdays. One evening I arrived early for karaoke, and told the bartender that I had an upset stomach, and I didn’t really want a beer just then. I asked if she could pour me a room temperature 7-Up to calm things down a bit. Instead she suggested Angostura Bitters and soda. And it worked pretty well, too. Does that count as a cocktail? ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/4 "2009-03-15T01:44:26Z")
Peru’s national drink Pisco Sour. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/5 "2009-03-15T01:47:45Z")
Bitters and soda to settle your stomach on a night alternating between PBR and peppermint schnapps. (NEVER go drinking with people from Wisconsin.) ---
**Author:** ![TastesLikeBurning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@TastesLikeBurning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TastesLikeBurning)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/6 "2009-03-15T03:03:10Z")
Lemon, lime, and Bitters. It’s a common and popular drink over here and can also be bought pre-mixed, with one version actually made by Angostura. This link on their site gives a better description and also how to make it, [http://www.angosturabitters.com/llb.htm](http://www.angosturabitters.com/llb.htm). ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/7 "2009-03-15T04:29:35Z")
The [Pegu](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegu_(cocktail)) is a new favorite for me. It’s often described as tasting of grapefruit, YMMV. I like it, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/8 "2009-03-15T04:56:34Z")
It’s the best cure for hiccups that I’ve ever found. Perhaps not quite what you were seeking, but it works. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/9 "2009-03-15T13:49:27Z")
My favorite mixed drink, Passamaquaddy Punch: Equal parts cranberry cocktail and lime seltzer (you could use cranberry juice–just use a splash in that case, and you’ll have a dry drink) Liberal splash of angostura Shot of rum It’s really good. I usually drink spirits straight up, but I have a bottle of rum around for making this on occasion. If I want the taste of alcohol but I don’t want to actually drink alcohol, lime seltzer with angostura in it hits some of the bitter/carbonated triggers that remind me of beer. It’s pretty tasty. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/10 "2009-03-15T14:20:34Z")
I’ve been on a quest for decent stir-fry without soy sauce (reducing sodium in my diet). A generous splash of bitters in vinegar with lemongrass, garlic and ginger makes a passable, vaguely Asian marinade. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/11 "2009-03-15T15:07:25Z")
**Pink Gin** is a somewhat popular drink in England. Just add a dash of bitters to a glass of gin, on the rocks if you’re in the U.S. If find it to be somewhat less enjoyable than a martini. I prefer Peychaud’s Bitter to Angostura – made in New Orleans, and good in a **Sazerac** as well as an Old Fashioned (it’s an Old Fashioned with a dash of Pernod, pretty much, although usually served in a small tumbler without ice or “garbage” – orange slice, cherry, etc – just a bit of lemon peel). Now, ORANGE bitters…_there’s_ a bottle in my cabinet that going to last fifty years. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/12 "2009-03-15T15:24:00Z")
Angostura bitters is a common ingredient in quite a few rum drinks- usually not in large quantities, but as a dash here or there. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/13 "2009-03-15T18:06:53Z")
There are quite a few cocktails that call for angostura bitters; another one that hasn’t been mentioned yet is the Widow’s Kiss: 4 parts apple brandy (if possible, use the Laird’s bonded applejack) 1 part yellow Chartreuse (do not use green Chartreuse) 1 part Benedictine (make sure you didn’t accidentally get a bottle of B&B) About 2 dashes of angostura bitters > [@Ukulele Ike](#): > > Now, ORANGE bitters…there’s a bottle in my cabinet that going to last fifty years. I think orange bitters work better in a Manhattan than angostura bitters, so I’d recommend trying that. You can also use a mixture of angostura bitters and orange bitters in an old-fashioned. Another thing you could try is an Amber Dream: 1.5 oz gin 0.75 oz sweet vermouth (if you’re using Vya vermouth, use a little less) 0.25 oz yellow Chartreuse (don’t use green Chartreuse) 1 dash orange bitters Stir & strain. ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/14 "2009-03-16T03:20:40Z")
Assuming you’re also interested in non-beverage-related options, you can also add a few drops of Angostura and a sprinkle of sugar to a bowl of sliced strawberries for a simple dessert (either plain, or spooned onto some ice cream). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/15 "2009-03-16T07:47:27Z")
Also great for a hangover (remedy), with ginger ale. ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/16 "2009-03-16T10:14:50Z")
There’s the Rock Shandy from South Africa - Ice Half a glass of lemonade or ginger ale Half a glass of soda water Bitters to taste 1/4 of a lime squeezed and dropped in ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/17 "2009-03-16T12:36:48Z")
Also on the realm of mixed drinks, a proper Cuba Libre should have Angostura bitters. (dark) Rum, Coke, Lemon juice and bitters is the way I have always seen it mixed. It is so much better than just rum and coke. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/18 "2009-03-16T13:27:16Z")
If you want to get really simple, it’s tasty sprinkled in some Coke or diet Coke. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/19 "2009-03-16T16:48:56Z")
Oh, and by the way, Angostura bitters will not spoil so it is ok if that one small bottle lasts an eternity and a half. The one at my parents’ house has been there since I have memory and it is still going strong. I recently bought one for myself. I expect one of my children to inherit it when I die. ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464/20 "2009-03-16T16:58:59Z")
We actually go through a couple-three bottles of bitters a year. Lots of Manhattans, for sure, but in the summer they find their way into many “house cocktails”: Fill a rocks glass with ice. Two shots of gin or bourbon. Two or three dashes bitters. Top with Ginger Ale. ETA: as others have noted, it’s also a nice addition to just plain ginger ale, especially to “calm things down” in the stomach after a big meal… but I find a Manhattan or “House Cocktail” serves the same purpose in addition to providing a buzz. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-use-angostura-bitters-for/489464.md?page=2)