Amargo Chuncho bitters. Have you heard of these? If not, these are truly an unmistakably amazing bitter to try out.

Amargo Chuncho is a Peruvian product and is marketed as the “only bitters for a truly authentic pisco sour.” All marketing aside, these are seriously one of the most unique and flavorful bitters in my collection of a few dozen different ones.

Cocktail bitters are pretty much the spices of the cocktail realm, a flavorful game-changing ingredient that can either magnify or transform the flavors of a cocktail. If you’ve had Angostura, then you know how intensely aromatic it can be. And you also probably know that many other cocktail bitters just do not measure up to Angostura in terms of flavor depth, richness, and intensity.

Well, Amargo Chuncho is an exception to that. I’d say that it’s equally richly aromatic as Angostura, but instead taking a cinnamon and sweet baking spice twist. It’s immediately followed up with the most intense bitterness, though the bitterness is not dark and earthy/dusty/dirt-y in any way, just plain bitter.

This is a fantastic ingredient to try out as a warmer substitute for Angostura, and of course cinnamon pairs wonderfully with tropical flavors and tiki drinks. It’s a versatile flavorful beast of an ingredient, and I highly recommend this gem!