Bharath on his plans to expand the Angostura portfolio

While it may be world-famous for its bitters, Trinidad and Tobago’s Angostura is a powerhouse of rum. And the company has plans to bring further interesting expressions to the market, as non-executive chairman Terrence Bharath tells The Spirits Business.

Angostura’s non-executive chairman Terrence Bharath

*This feature was originally published in the November 2019 issue of The Spirits Business

Climate change has never loomed so large in the public eye – and arguably, nobody in the spirits world is more aware of the damaging effects global warming is having on the planet than rum producers in the Caribbean.

“There’s a saying we have in Trinidad, and I don’t want to say it too loudly, but we say that ‘God is a Trini’,” explains Terrence Bharath, non‐executive chairman of the Angostura board of directors. We’re discussing the tragedies that have blighted Caribbean islands in recent years and how, fortunately, Trinidad and Tobago, the home of Angostura, has been left largely unaffected. “What that means is,” he continues, “the way the local population interprets that is God always spares us. So we have been spared hurricane damage for probably over 30 years.”

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

That’s not to say the possibility of hurricanes and adverse weather conditions isn’t a constant cause for concern. Like other rum producers in the Caribbean, Angostura has contingency plans and safety precautions in place should the winds of fortune change course. From sandbags to storm pumps and floodgates, the distillery must always be prepared.

“We’ve been so lucky, but then we do have quite a number of protectionary measures here at our manufacturing operations,” Bharath adds. “Any time there’s a hint of any adverse weather conditions, our team is always on the premises to ensure everything is fine. So, yes, the weather conditions and the effects of global warming are a constant concern for us, but we have been spared the wrath of hurricane for a number of years.”

With more than two centuries of history to its name, Angostura has become an undisputed global icon in the spirits world. “What attracted me to Angostura was three things,” explains Bharath. “The first is its unique and long heritage. Two, the fact that is it a jewel of the state of Trinidad and Tobago, and three, that I could contribute to something that is so unique in itself that there’s nothing like it on the planet.”

A barrister by trade, Bharath returned to Trinidad and Tobago after completing his legal training in the UK, and began his journey with Angostura in 2016. “I had my academic training in the UK, and I have been practising as a barrister in Trinidad for the past 32 years,” he says. “I spent time involved in very complex litigation. In 2016, I was asked to become a director of Angostura, and I readily accepted directorship on the board as a non‐executive director.”

Barrels of rum ageing in the warehouse

Having spent 24 years on the boards of various commercial companies, Bharath brought a wealth of experience to Angostura. Two years later, he was asked to become non‐executive chairman of the Angostura board, an opportunity he “eagerly seized”.

“I became chairman because the opportunity presented itself,” he recalls. “I was honoured because Angostura is one of our jewels in Trinidad and Tobago. It is a company that is extremely passionate and proud of our heritage, and it seemed to me to be something that would challenge me in terms of keeping the iconic brands growing and also having an input into its development – which essentially would be down to my fellow countrymen at the end of the day.”

It’s a tricky schedule to juggle, but one that Bharath manages to maintain across 12‐hour days, six days a week. He also sits as head of Angostura’s sales and marketing committee, “which is our engine room, and that itself requires almost a daily input”, he adds.

One of the company’s greatest success stories, if not the greatest, is the global phenomenon of Angostura Bitters. The secret to its global rise, according to Bharath, is the brand’s antiquity. Angostura Bitters was established in 1824 by German Dr Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, and was created for medicinal purposes. Today, it’s a big name in the cocktail world, commanding around 80% of the cocktail bitters market in the US, according to Bharath, 80%‐81% in Australia and New Zealand, and an estimated 60% in Europe.

“There are not many products that are over 150 years old,” Bharath says, “and there are not many brands that have stood the test of time and have been around forever. If you look at Angostura Bitters, any bar or hotel that you visit throughout the world, bar some countries, you would find a bottle of Angostura Bitters. And what has continued our success is the fact that people know when we supply them with a bottle of Angostura Bitters, there’s no other like it.”

CREATIVE BARTENDERS

Today’s bartenders, however, are more creative than ever, and many leading luminaries in the on‐trade are dabbling in crafting their own bitters in‐house. But Bharath is unfazed by this recent development. “Yes, there’s competition. But I guess being one of the oldest bitters brands in the world, it’s very difficult to unseat us. And we do not sit idly by and feel that we are top of the world and we don’t have to do anything; that’s why we innovate.”

He references the line extension brought out in 2007, Angostura Orange Bitters, which is made from its own recipe, as well as the Lemon Lime Bitters (a ready‐to‐drink product made with soda water), which Bharath says has been marketed as far afield as Australia. However, he highlights the importance of mindful innovation, and not just playing around with products for innovation’s sake.

“We also intend, as time progresses, to consider having another variation of the bitters,” Bharath explains. “But one doesn’t readily interfere with something that’s working. So we are very conscious not to go tinkering too much with our products.”

A cooper works on a barrel

Angostura Bitters may boast international prevalence, but the company’s rum portfolio has become equally as important to its success story. The spirit is a huge part of Trinidadian culture – and a community with an “easy sort of atmosphere that could turn into a party situation very easily”. Angostura divides its portfolio to cater for this Caribbean lifestyle, separating its ‘Trinidadian jewels’ from its ‘international rums’.

“We have one of the most beautiful carnivals on earth,” says Bharath, while explaining the reason behind Angostura’s rum division. “Thousands of people flock to our shores to enjoy Carnival, and we have bands on the road with music trucks, and we celebrate soca, a form of calypso. But the people like a certain type of drink; so they like our White Oak, the Single Barrel, and Forres Park Puncheon overproof rum. That gets the party going.”

The Trinidadian brands don’t carry the Angostura name, but Bharath says White Oak is the nation’s number‐one selling rum, favoured among locals for its “smoothness and mixability”. It seems Trinidadians are looking for quality rums for mixing with Coke, soda or coconut water, rather than high‐end cocktails. “There are instances where we do market our premium rums in Trinidad,” insists Bharath, “but in terms of our main stage in Trinidad, it’s what we call the ‘standard rum’.” The ‘international rums’ deliver a more premium offering on a wider basis. France, and Europe in general, is the company’s biggest market, and Angostura is experiencing “a great demand for our premium rum”, Bharath enthuses.

NEW DESIGN

In a move to boost the brand’s global credentials, Angostura unveiled a new packaging design for its international portfolio in 2016. Described at the time as a “brave” new look, the updated designs included Angostura 1824, Angostura 1919, Angostura 7 Year Old, Angostura 5 Year Old and Angostura Reserva. The labels were “streamlined” to feature the same typography as each other, while the House of Angostura’s butterfly logo was positioned centrally at the top of the front label. Additional details include a map of Trinidad and Tobago, plus an illustration of a butterfly and molasses on the right.

“Butterflies are synonymous with sugarcane,” explains Bharath. “We aimed to convey the distinctive story of our brand. We decided to change the label to create more interest in the product itself, and therefore more interest in purchasing the product. As we continue to look at improving the product in any way we can, we always bear in mind that we don’t move very quickly. We look at things carefully before we make moves in our products in any way we can.”

The introduction of Amaro di Angostura in 2014 supports Bharath’s statement. The launch of the amaro marked the company’s first move into a new spirit category in its 190‐year history. Using Angostura Aromatic Bitters as a base, the amaro is made with additional spices and neutral alcohol to create a 35% ABV liqueur. According to Bharath, the product has been well received by the global on‐trade, with particular success in the UK, France, Italy, Poland, the Baltics, Asia and Africa.

“In the US and Italy, we are growing the amaro category,” says Bharath. “Bartenders are encouraging consumers to enjoy our amaro product in cocktails. It is a product that is reviving classic cocktails; it is doing very well for us in bars.”

Angostura’s range of drinks

Though Angostura’s decision to diversify its portfolio is a relatively new one, third‐party, bulk rum production is a skill the distillery has been honing for decades. But not long after the redesign in 2016, Angostura revealed it had made the “strategic decision” to reduce its third‐party rum business. Today, the company still supplies some third‐party producers with bulk rum – in countries such as the US, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand – through its Trinidad Distillers subsidiary.

“While the bulk rum business is profitable, more emphasis could be placed on turning that into our own finished products, and that gives us more of an appetite for profit. So while we do continue to do our bulk rum sales, we are also always considerate of the fact that taking that same bulk rum and turning it into product will give us more benefits.”

Does that mean new products could be on the horizon? “Here’s where it gets very exciting,” enthuses Bharath. Angostura’s portfolio also features an ‘other gems’ selection of spirits, comprising Fernandes Cherry Brandy, Mokatika Coffee Liqueur and Blu Vodka. The three are very much aimed at the Trinidad and Tobago market, and are hugely popular with the locals – particularly in the lead‐up to Christmas and Carnival, says Bharath.

The Fernandes Cherry Brandy is frequently used in a traditional Trinidadian dessert at Christmas, called ‘black cake’. “As early as November, you’ll see people filling large gallon bottles with fruits that have been soaked in our Fernandes Cherry Brandy and our Black Label Rum in preparation of the black cake of Christmas,” explains Bharath, adding that the coffee liqueur is popular for mixing in cocktails.

As part of its 195th anniversary celebrations, Angostura is planning to release two limited edition twists on one of the products from the ‘other gems’ portfolio – but any further details at this stage are being kept tightly under wraps.

SECRET PRODUCT

“We are constantly revisiting what we do and what we’ve accomplished,” says Bharath, before revealing details of a third secret product. “We actually forgot that in a little corner we had a unique blend of super‐ premium rum sitting in casks for the past 22 years. So, we plan to have a launch early next year, we won’t say where yet, but most probably a launch out of Trinidad and Tobago, of an extremely rare blend of rum that we will offer in limited supplies to commemorate our 195th year in business as an entity, and the name Angostura.”

But for a brand that isn’t “quick off the mark”, the revelations keep on coming, and Bharath explains Angostura is also keen to add a bit of spice to its portfolio.

“Because of our history and because of our knowledge, what we do is always founded upon expertise,” Bharath explains. “We never do something that could hurt our core business. Although we are going to get a spiced rum, it’s not going to be a rush to get there. We want to do it properly, as we do everything else.”