Information
The original recipe for Abbott’s Aromatic Bitters has never been identified or passed down from the family, but after this research, we believe we know what the original bitters smelled and tasted like, even after 100 years of aging.
We also know, based on the original name of C.W. Abbott’s Angostura Bitters, adopted in 1872, and the many legal confrontations thereafter resulting that the use of the word Angostura was forced to be abandoned in 1908, and that the principal ingredient in this bitters was angostura (tree) bark. Angostura bark bitters were common during most of the 19th century, originating as a tonic alternative to cinchona bark.
They eventually evolved by the last quarter of the 19th century into a highly-prized and internationally recognized style of cocktail bitters. From 1872 until 1908, various lawsuits against all producers of angostura bark bitters labeled as “Angostura Bitters” in any fashion, were instigated by the company of J.G.B. Siegert & Sons. Most producers gave up their brands or even businesses before going to court, and “angostura” bitters were eventually banned as a “type” of bitters, to be dominated by Siegert’s Angostura Bitters, which did not even contain the bark, thus not truly reflecting the angostura bark flavor and aromas.
This cocktail bitters, re-baptized under its pre-Prohibition name Abbott’s Aromatic Bitters, and replicating its complex, flavor-enhancing profile, so prized in a Manhattan Cocktail, is the result of this research. 50% ABV
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5+ POINTS OUT OF 5, HIGHEST RATED BITTERS – Diffordsguide/Class Magazine
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96 POINTS – International Review of Spirits 2013
The Brand
Tempus Fugit Spirits is dedicated to the glory of the well-made cocktail.
The goal is to source and recreate rare spirits and liqueurs from the pages of history to satisfy the demands of the most discerning connoisseur. Along with the world’s finest absinthes, Tempus Fugit was determined to seek out fine rare spirits that were once staples in classic pre-Prohibition cocktails, which have been lost over time. In most cases, Tempus Fugit recreated these liqueurs in-house using historic 19th-century protocols, many cross-referenced in several languages, to arrive as close in taste to these forgotten spirits as is possible, or surpass them. From rare fruit, flower and plant liqueurs to bitters, Amari, Vermouths and Chanati, Tempus Fugit prides itself in finding out what’s missing from the back bar of the most discerning bartenders.
