House of Angostura

The House of Angostura is a Trinidad and Tobago company famous for the production of angostura bitters invented by the company's founder. The company was founded around 1830 in the Venezuelan town of Angostura by a German doctor Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert Surgeon-General in Simon Bolivar's army in Venezuela. Around 1820 he tried to find a medicine to improve appetite and digestive well-being of the soldiers. Researching and analysing the qualities of tropical herbs and plants he finally arrived at a unique blend of herbs in 1824 which he called "Amargo Aromatico" or aromatic bitters. In 1830 Siegert exported his unique aromatic bitters to England and Trinidad. By 1850 he had resigned his commission in the Venezuelan army to concentrate on the manufacture of his bitters since by then demand had leapt ahead of supply. In 1862 the product was exhibited and sampled in London to great approval. Upon his death in 1870 Siegert left the care of the company to his younger brother and son who subsequently moved it to Port of Spain Trinidad six years later in 1876. Over the course of time angostura bitters and Dr. Siegert's company alone became purveyor to the King of Prussia Spain and King George V. Today Sngostura bitters are also produced by various other vendors some of which add the bark of the angostura tree.