A former senior Angostura executive has quietly entered the bitters market with the launch of Caroni Aromatic Bitters — a direct competitor to the globally renowned Angostura Aromatic Bitters, whose recipe has remained one of the world’s most closely guarded secrets for more than 200 years.
The new product was introduced discreetly at a private event on Sunday night at a restaurant in Valpark Plaza, Valsayn.
Vidia Doodnath, the former Executive Director of Technical Operations at Angostura, confirmed the launch but declined to speak publicly about the product at this time.
“I prefer not to promote the product right now,” she said when contacted.
Angostura chairman Gary Hunt said he was unaware of Doodnath’s new bitters and intended to look into the matter.
According to information obtained by the Express, Caroni Aromatic Bitters is initially being marketed to bars and nightclubs rather than retail consumers.
Angostura’s Global Legacy
Angostura, the world market leader in cocktail bitters and one of the Caribbean’s most recognised rum producers, traces its origins to 1824. That year, Dr Johann Siegert, living in the Venezuelan town of Angostura, created aromatic bitters as a medicinal remedy for stomach ailments.
In 1875, his sons Carlos, Alfredo and Luis moved the family business to Trinidad under the name JGB Siegert & Hijos, establishing Angostura Aromatic Bitters as a staple ingredient in cocktails and cuisine.
The company became a public limited liability entity in England in 1912 and went on to secure prestigious royal warrants, supplying bitters to King George V and later, in 1955, to Queen Elizabeth II — the only bitters brand to hold such distinction. All warrants lapsed upon the Queen’s passing in 2022.
Today, Angostura exports to 170 markets and continues to expand its portfolio, which includes Angostura aromatic, orange and cocoa bitters, as well as its line of Angostura Chill soft drinks.
In 2024, Angostura celebrated its 200th anniversary with exclusive product releases and global events highlighting its historic legacy.
Guarding the Secret Formula
The recipe for Angostura Aromatic Bitters remains one of the longest-protected formulas in the culinary world.
In a 2013 interview with Drink Spirits, Doodnath was described as one of the very small group — reportedly five individuals — believed to know the complete secret recipe.
When asked then if she was among the recipe’s keepers, she declined to confirm, saying, “We don’t know who they are. It is a secret.”
On whether the formula could be replicated, she noted that while scientific analysis could reveal certain spice components, identifying their precise proportions would be significantly more difficult.
As Caroni Aromatic Bitters quietly enters the market, industry observers are watching closely to see how the new brand positions itself against an international giant whose recipe, history and global reach have defined the bitters category for two centuries.
