Angostura Cocoa Bitter
The chocolate-loving sibling of the familiar bottle: cocoa nibs and exotic spices at 48%. 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 focuses on something different. Where the original centers on cinnamon, cloves, and gentian, this is a combination of cocoa and exotic spices. The base is alcohol and water, with cocoa nibs, gentian, spices, sugar, glycerine, and caramel coloring.
At 48%, it’s slightly stronger than the 44.7% Aromatic Bitters and comes in a smaller 10 cl bottle. Like all bitters, it’s not meant to be drunk neat: you measure 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 cup of coffee right away.
Bitter and dry
Pure, concentrated and bitter, like very dark chocolate with a spicy edge of gentian.
Depth
A few dashes make a cocktail darker and rounder, bringing coffee, rum or whisky closer to chocolate.
Tasting profile of Angostura Cocoa Bitter neat. In a cocktail, you taste 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.
Go to recipe →In an Old Fashioned
Replace the regular bitters with 2 dashes of Cocoa Bitter, along with 10 ml simple syrup and 60 ml whisky 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 add a grown-up, 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 cocoa give it more depth.
Old Fashioned
Whisky or rum, sugar and bitters. With cocoa instead of cinnamon.
Black Russian
Vodka and coffee liqueur over ice. A dash of cocoa takes the edge off the sweetness.
Boulevardier
Whisky, sweet vermouth and Campari. Cocoa and bitter orange find common ground.The right glass for cocktails with Cocoa Bitter
A coupe or Espresso Martini glass for coffee cocktails, a heavy tumbler for an Old Fashioned, and a mixing glass for stirring.
More Angostura flavors
Angostura
Where it all began. Visit the brand page to learn 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 burnt sugar. Enjoy neat or in a Mai Tai.
View Angostura Gran Añejo 7 →Everything about herbal bitters: the types, best-known brands and 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 →
