Will Bitters Shortage Finally Kill Old Timey Cocktail Trend?

Death & Co. (Lobster Rocket's Flickr)

Doubtful—nothing short of rehab will quench New Yorkers' thirst for fastidiously prepared cocktails in the Prohibition-era style. But there is a slight problem: The House of Angostura, maker of the bitters favored by many of the most meticulous mixologists, has fallen way behind schedule because of a shortage in ingredients and a financial restructuring. In London, at least one bartender has already started hoarding, and in NYC, Freemans owner William Tigertt tweeted yesterday, "Panic! Angostura bitter plant shutdown. NYC distributors rationing 3 bottles per account. Hording begins as cocktail doomsday clock hits 11." Eater also fears the day of reckoning is at hand, but at least there are other brands of bitters.

The U.S. Angostura distributor says the production line ran dry in June, telling The Guardian in November, "There has been a shortage. You can't just turn on and off supply of bitters. It's not like producing bottled water - it's a very delicate, intricate process." Invented in 1824 by a German doctor and made from a secret recipe of herbs, barks, roots, spices and rum, bitters became popular in Britain as an additive for gin, partly to conceal quinine in tonic water. Today most serious cocktail makers can't do without them; as London bar owner Tony Conigliaro explains, "What bitters will do is stretch the rest of the flavours across the palate."

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By John Del Signore in Food on January 6, 2010 2:40 PM

Comments [rss]

Rick

Considering the "bitters shortage" has ended, I doubt this will be a problem. Even BevMo and most local liquor stores have them now.

And the cocktail bars that are using bitters are using house-made or unique bitters less and less, not necessarily relying on Angostura.

Would have been a cool article a few months ago when all the bartenders actually were worried about the production shutdown.

ckl

i like the fee brothers angostura better anyway

also, this has been a problem for at least a few months.

maybe it's time to sell the stockpile i got while i was out of town on craigslist

jaja007

Got to put in a vote for Fee Brothers, which is a proud New York state product. Though, yes, I'm a Peychaud's fan as well.

captainblackout

Peychaud's is delicious.

Mordicai

OH NOOoooooooooo!!! I drink bitters & seltzer at home, like, 24/7. THIS EXPLAINS why I've had to trek to places like Bierkraft & Grab (where at least I can buy a bigger bottle, too) to pick them up, since even the artsy-fartsy grocers don't have them anymore. DISASTER. Grizzzly is right though; at least Pechaud's is an option. STILL this horrible!

This is so so horrible.

grizzzly

Buy Amurrrrican, reach for the Peychaud's.

NannyState

How hard is it? You just road trip it into the boonies and load up. Half the crackers and hillbillies in Elvis Country couldn't make a proper coctail to save their rawhides.

spnder

We made it through the great Rittenhouse shortage of 08 and the cherry heering drought of 09. Somehow I think we'll manage to survive. Hell, it'll just make everyone more creative.