SaurabhAngostura Bitters is one of the main ingredients in some of the most delicious cocktails today, such as Pisco Sour and Manhattan.
Yet, there are instances where you cannot find Angostura bitters or want to use something else. In such cases, substitutes are a real savior!
Angostura Bitters have a unique taste that may get hard to recreate. So, are there other options for Angostura Bitters? Absolutely!
You can use alcoholic substitutes like Peychaud’s Bitters, Fee Brothers Bitters, Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters, Bittercube Aromatic Bitters, Bitters Club Aromatic Bitters, Absinthe, and Campari.
You can also use a mix of spices and orange peel as a non-alcoholic substitute. Read on to know more about these substitutes, why they’re an ideal option, and when to use them.
Angostura Bitters Substitutes
There are many alcoholic and non-alcoholic Angostura Bitters substitutes. I have covered both to help you figure out which one is the ideal option. Now, let’s get to the list!
1. Peychaud’s Bitters
If you want to replace Angostura Bitters in various cocktails, Peychaud’s Bitters is the best substitute. Peychaud’s Bitters is a popular cocktail bitter, similar to Angostura Bitters. Hence, it’s ideal for various cocktails, including the Manhattan.
It consists of the strong flavors imparted from cloves, nutmeg, and cherry. The many flavors give about a similar and powerful flavor like that of Angostura Bitters.
However, Peychaud’s Bitters also have hints of caramel and licorice which make it sweeter than Angostura Bitters (spicy in nature). So, you need to adjust the sweetness as per your preference.
Also, keep in mind that there’s a difference in the alcohol concentration. Peychaud’s Bitters have an alcohol concentration of 35 percent whereas Angostura Bitters are 44.7 percent alcoholic.
So, if you need more alcoholic content, you need to make a little change in the volume. Overall, Peychaud’s Bitters offer a similar flavor and feel to cocktails if you use the right amount of it.
2. Fee Brothers Bitters
The Fee Brothers Bitters are the right substitute for you if you are a fan of bitters flavors. It comes in various options such as plum, peach, mint, celery, and many more. Most of them are made from rich herbs, bark, and roots.
I recommend using Fee Brothers Aromatic Bitters as it resembles the flavor of Angostura Bitters. It consists of mainly Angostura bark, citrus flavors, and spices like cinnamon and cloves.
Hence, you can see the various similarities between Angostura Bitters and Fee Brothers Aromatic Bitters. Fee Brothers Aromatic Bitters is a suitable option for different cocktail mixes that contain Angostura Bitters.
Be it the Manhattan or the Old-Fashioned cocktail, Fee Brothers go well with all of them! Fee Brothers Bitters have a very prominent citrusy flavor that isn’t present in the basic Angostura Aromatic Bitters. But it is present in Angostura Orange Bitters. So, keep this in mind!
3. Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters
The Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters are yet another substitute for Angostura Bitters, owing to their similar taste and flavor.
The Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters offer a lovely blend of flavors, consisting of cloves, cardamom, and anise. This surely helps in enhancing the taste of cocktails and making them powerful.
Moreover, there’s a nice bitterness present that further makes this product a hit for cocktails! It goes well with any wood-aged spirits, like Whiskey. Well-known cocktails you can try with Bitter Truth Bitters include Old-Fashioned, Old Cuban, and Queen’s Park Swizzle.
4. Bittercube Aromatic Bitters
The Bittercube Aromatic Bitters comes in a variety of flavors that blend well with not just cocktails but with other items too. So, if you need a good replacement for Angostura Bitters, you can consider this one.
The Bittercube Aromatic Bitters doesn’t have fixed ingredients as they differ depending on the flavor. However, I recommend using Bittercube Orange Bitters for cocktails as it has cardamom and citrusy flavor to enhance the cocktail’s taste.
It goes particularly well with the Manhattan and Old Fashioned.
If you want a slight vanilla taste, opt for Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters flavor. It includes ingredients like vanilla, cocoa, cardamom, and star anise which blend well with cocktail mixes.
Some other great options that mimic the flavor of Angostura Bitters are Bittercube Bolivar and Blackstrap Bitters.
5. Bitters Club Aromatic Bitters
If you want your cocktails to be sweeter and have the unique taste of Angostura Bitters, then Bitters Club Aromatic Bitters won’t disappoint you. The Bitters Club Aromatic Bitters consist of ingredients like sweet anise, cardamom, and various other spices.
These flavors bring out the unique sweet taste in your cocktails. However, they’ll also offer the spiciness as observed in cocktails with Angostura Bitters. Remember that the alcohol content here is slightly more than Angostura Bitters (around 60%).
6. Absinthe
If you don’t want to use any Bitters in your cocktails, then use for Absinthe. It works as a good substitute for Angostura but it isn’t the best one.
Absinthe has a very noticeable flavor of licorice, anise, and fennel. These ingredients aren’t very common in Angostura Bitters, however, they impart a similar flavor to Absinthe.
There’s a light sweetness with bitter tones and spicy flavor which makes it a good match. You can use around ¼ teaspoon absinthe in place of four dashes of bitters.
Here, the drawback is that not everyone can adapt to the unique flavor of Absinthe. Moreover, it may have a slightly minty taste too.
7. Campari
Unlike Angostura Bitters which is a type of cocktail bitters, Campari is more like digestive bitters. But, you can use them interchangeably in cocktails like Old Fashioned and Manhattan.
Campari consists of similar ingredients to Angostura Bitters like clove and cinnamon that impart a bittersweet flavor which is perfect for cocktails!
But, Campari is sweeter in nature than Angostura Bitters which is usually spicy. It also has certain hints of cherry and orange peel, however, this may not make a huge difference if you don’t mind sweeter cocktails.
8. Mix of Spices
Angostura Bitters consist mainly of spices, like cardamom and cloves. Therefore, if you want to have a non-alcoholic substitute for Angostura Bitters in soup and broth, use a mix of spices.
All you need to do is add cardamom, cloves, mace, and nutmeg to your meals. This will add Angostura-like spiciness. For extra sweetness, you can add molasses or sugar. I also recommend adding some citrus peel, like orange peel.
These are some of the best Angostura Bitters substitutes to give your cocktails and dishes, the Angostura-like twist.
What is the Difference Between Angostura Bitters and Campari?
Both Angostura and Campari are a type of bitters. However, there are some differences between them such as the following.
Taste
Campari has a bittersweet flavor whereas Angostura Bitters has a spicy taste. Additionally, Campari consists of cherry, cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel whereas Angostura Bitters have a taste of mainly cloves and cinnamon.
Color
Campari Bitters has a noticeable deep red color due to the presence of natural colors. On the other hand, Angostura Bitters have a dark color and less redness.
Type
Campari Bitters is known as digestive bitters as it helps in digestion whereas Angostura Bitters is a type of cocktail bitter.
Related Questions
What flavor is Angostura Bitters?
Angostura Bitters is a type of concentrated bitters that consist of various herbs and spices. Hence, Angostura Bitters have a very prominent spicy flavor with slight flavors of cinnamon and cloves.
Is Angostura Bitters the same as Orange Bitters?
Angostura Bitters consists of various flavors, including Orange Bitters. But keep in mind that all Angostura Bitters have their own unique taste.
Orange Bitters don’t have the same taste as that of Angostura Aromatic Bitters or any other. It has a peculiar spicy flavor with hints of orange or citrusy notes that make it different from other Angostura Bitters.
Can you skip Bitters in a cocktail?
You can skip Bitters in cocktails but the overall taste won’t remain the same. It is because Bitters act as binding factors in cocktails. Moreover, it helps in emphasizing the flavors. So, if you don’t use it, you may notice the dullness in your cocktails.
