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Cocktail History
The Angostura Colada is a tiki cocktail that was created by Zac Overman at L’Oursin in Seattle, Washington. It takes the classic template for the Piña Colada and dials it up by using a hefty dose of aromatic bitters as one of the base spirits. It then pairs them with rum, pineapple cream of coconut, citrus, and nutmeg to create a uniquely-flavored spicy recipe that has since become a favorite among modern imbibers.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Aromatic Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters.
Overproof Rum: This is a type of rum that has over 50% alcohol content and is made with molasses or sugar cane juice and alcohol that is filtered and bottled right away without the aging process. We used J. Wray & Nephew Overproof White Rum because it’s high-quality and has unique vanilla, banana, coconut, and molasses flavors. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic White Cane Spirit in place of the rum.
Pineapple Juice: This is the liquid juice of a pineapple. We used fresh pineapple juice.
Cream of Coconut: This is a thick cream made with coconut milk, sugar, citric acid, and other ingredients. We used Coco Lopez Real Cream of Coconut because it has a rich flavor and silky texture.
Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. We used freshly squeezed lime juice.
Orange Slice: This is the liquid juice of an orange. We used freshly squeezed orange juice.
Pineapple Fronds: This the leaf of a pineapple.
Grated Nutmeg: This is a spice made from the seed of a nutmeg tree. We used whole nutmeg from the bulk section at our local grocery store.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Chef’s Knife: This is used to cut larger fruits and vegetables into slices. We used the OXO Good Grips 8-Inch Chef’s Knife.
Pineapple Corer: This is used to remove the core of the pineapple before it’s juiced. We used the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Pineapple Corer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus, fruits, and vegetables. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer for the citrus and the Hamilton Beach Large Juicer for the pineapple.
Grater: This is used to grate spices or citrus peel. We used the OXO Good Grips Grater.
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Tasting Notes
The Angostura Colada features aromas of nutmeg and strong spice and has an extremely bold, heavy taste comprised of allspice and complemented by pineapple and coconut sweetness, and it leaves a long-lingering taste of deep spices on the tongue.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: While this recipe has sort of become a legend in its own time, this was the first time we had tried one, and we both really, really enjoyed it! Despite its aggressive flavor and spice, the Angostura Colada goes down surprisingly smoothly. It definitely commands a slow and enjoyable sip though.
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“If you just saw a photo of this drink and didn’t see the list of ingredients, you’d probably expect this to be a tropical version of a Bloody Mary from the color and consistency alone, but it couldn’t be further from that. Although probably not one I will request very often because I lean toward craving fruitier tiki cocktails, the Angostura Colada is incredibly fascinating and would be a likely hit with those already obsessed with the bitters’ spicy flavor. It really is just savory and unique as hell, and that’s why it earns four stars from me.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-10-14.
Angostura Colada
The Angostura Colada is a tiki cocktail that was created by Zac Overman at L’Oursin in Seattle, Washington. It takes the classic template for the Piña Colada and dials it up by using a hefty dose of aromatic bitters as one of the base spirits. It then pairs them with rum, pineapple cream of coconut, citrus, and nutmeg to create a uniquely-flavored spicy recipe that has since become a favorite among modern imbibers.
Ingredients
Method
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Add bitters, rum, pineapple juice, cream of coconut, lime juice, and cubed ice to a shaker.
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Shake for 10-20 seconds.
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Strain into a snifter glass over fresh cracked ice.
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Garnish with orange slice, pineapple fronds, and grated nutmeg.
