Angostura Cocoa Bitter
The chocolate sibling of the familiar bottle: cacao nibs and exotic spices at 48% ABV. A few dashes give an Espresso Martini or an Old Fashioned a dark, chocolatey depth.
Bitters with cocoa instead of cinnamon
Angostura Cocoa Bitter comes from the same house in Trinidad as the classic Aromatic Bitters, but emphasizes something different. Where the original revolves around cinnamon, clove, and gentian, this is a combination of cocoa and exotic spices. The base is alcohol and water, with cacao nibs, gentian, spices, sugar, glycerin, and caramel coloring.
It is 48% ABV, slightly stronger than the Aromatic Bitters' 44.7%, and comes in a smaller 10 cl bottle. Like all bitters, it is not meant to be drunk neat: you dose it in dashes as a flavoring for cocktails and even dishes. Its best-known role is in the Espresso Martini.
In brief
Dark chocolate in drop form
Cocoa
Dark cocoa and warm spices. You can smell a dash over a glass of coffee immediately.
Bitter and dry
Purely concentrated and bitter, like very dark chocolate with a spicy edge of gentian.
Depth
A few dashes make a cocktail darker and rounder and bring coffee, rum, or whiskey closer to chocolate.
Tasting profile of Angostura Cocoa Bitter neat. In a cocktail, it comes across as chocolate and depth, not bitterness.
Three ways to use Cocoa Bitter
A dash is a short, firm shake from the bottle. Start with two and taste before adding more.
In the Espresso Martini
50 ml vodka, 30 ml fresh espresso, 20 ml coffee liqueur, and 2 dashes of Cocoa Bitter, shaken hard with ice and strained into a chilled coupe. The cocoa makes it darker and less sweet.
To the recipe →In an Old Fashioned
Replace the regular bitters with 2 dashes of Cocoa Bitter, 10 ml simple syrup, and 60 ml whiskey or dark rum. Stir with ice and pour over a large ice cube.
Old Fashioned recipe →In coffee or dessert
A dash in an Americano, hot chocolate, or over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The spices and cocoa give it a mature, slightly bitter edge.
Coffee cocktails →Cocktails that love cocoa
Cocoa Bitter works anywhere coffee, dark spirits, or cream are in the glass.
Espresso Martini
Vodka, espresso and coffee liqueur. Two dashes of cacao give it more depth.
Old Fashioned
Whisky or rum, sugar and bitters. With cacao instead of cinnamon.
Black Russian
Vodka and coffee liqueur over ice. A dash of cacao tones down the sweetness.
Boulevardier
Whisky, sweet vermouth and Campari. Cacao and bitter orange come together.The right glass for cocktails with Cocoa Bitter
A coupe or Espresso Martini glass for coffee cocktails, a heavy tumbler for the Old Fashioned and a mixing glass for stirring.
More Angostura flavors
Angostura
Where it all began. On the brand page, you can read all about Angostura: its origins, varieties and classic cocktails.
Go to Angostura →
Angostura Gran Añejo 7
A blend of rums aged for at least seven years: dark chocolate, tiramisu and caramelized sugar. Enjoy neat or in a Mai Tai.
View Angostura Gran Añejo 7 →Everything about herbal bitters: the types, the best-known brands and the cocktails.
Questions about Angostura Cocoa Bitter
Can't find your question here? Read more on the Angostura page or browse our cocktail recipes.
Everything about Angostura →