When a bartender talks bitters, it’s safe to assume they’re talking about the small bottle of Angostura with its yellow cap. ­The brand is the dominant force among the world’s best bars, having been declared the bestselling cocktail bitter in 80% of them and stocked by 98% of our polled venues.

Beyond Angostura’s dominance, Peychaud’s is the significant runner-up, declared the second-best performing cocktail bitter in almost a third of the bars, while just a few votes separated ­The Bitter Truth, Fee Brothers and Scrappy’s.

In modern venues it’s becoming rare to see a bottle of bitters on display. Top hotel bars either make their own or decant them into small glass jars, and the rest keep them in convenient places, often out of sight on the work station given their regular use in classic drinks. Cocktail bitters are therefore not the centre of attention, but the integral and often unseen catalyst of many classics. Yet the category continues to be dominated by Angostura, despite a growing number of premium brands hitting the market. ­This isn’t likely to change anytime soon either, as the brand sits comfortably in prime position on the top trending list with little significant competition.

How we did it

The Annual Brands Report results are the culmination of a survey of 100 bars from around the world which have been nominated or won international awards. The report offers a picture of the buying habits of the world’s best bars – not only which brands sell best, but also what’s trending to indicate the brands that are hot right now.

To view the page-turner edition of the Brands Report click here.

The Brands Report will be serialised on drinksint.com throughout January.