Being invented around 1825, in Venezuela, by a French Doctor to fight illnesses among Bolivar's troops, it is a brand of bitter aromatic tonic used to flavor aperitifs and longer drinks.
A spirit from Trinidad made of a distillation of water, alcohol, gentian root and vegetable flavoring extracts, not from Brazilian angostura bark as the name suggests. Add a few drops to orange juice, sparkling water, or ginger ale, fruit salads, salad dressings, and cream-based soups. It is most often used by bartenders for cocktails such as an Old Fashioned, Manhattan, or Rum Punch.