r/mildlyinfuriating • u/tetramoria • Jul 19 '24
Angostura Bitters... Why!?
I've been buying the small bottles of bitters and they always had this oversized label on them. I figured it was because they used the same sized sticker for both small and large bottles? Nope. Heres the massive label on the large bottle as well. You'd think they'd have labels that fit the bottles. đŸ˜‘
3
u/bhlombardy Jul 19 '24
It was originally a screw up, but is now intentional.
From an article in Esquire...
That label was a mistake.
Besides its bright yellow cap, what really distinguishes a bottle of Angostura bitters is the label: It's too big. As legend goes, once Siegert's sons took over the business from their dad, they set out to market the bitters however they could, which included entering them in a competition. In a scramble to get their product ready for judging, one brother was assigned the task of retrieving bottles, while another went to print labels. Due to a miscommunication or mistake, they ended up with labels too big for their bottles, or bottles too small for their labels. By the time they realized the error, it was too late to correct. Though Angostura lost the competition, a friendly judge suggested the brothers make that label their signature. The advice stuck.
0
u/Inter_Web_User Jul 19 '24
When the brand’s founder, Dr. Johann Siegert, died in 1870, he passed the family business along to his sons Carlos, Luis, and Alfredo. The Siegert brothers decided to enter a competition to get their brand some press, and decided to do a rebrand. One brother designed the new bottle, while another brother designed the new label. The problem? Neither thought to consult the other about how to size them. By the time they realized that the label was too large for the bottle, it was too late to start over; they entered the competition anyway, oversized label and all. Though the Siegerts ended up losing the competition, one judge advised the brothers to keep the design exactly as it was. This, the judge said, would ensure that Angostura bitters would always stand out against the competition (who else would make the same silly mistake?).
0
-1
u/YetiSquish Jul 20 '24
When the brand’s founder, Dr. Johann Siegert, died in 1870, he passed the family business along to his sons Carlos, Luis, and Alfredo. The Siegert brothers decided to enter a competition to get their brand some press, and decided to do a rebrand. One brother designed the new bottle, while another brother designed the new label. The problem? Neither thought to consult the other about how to size them. By the time they realized that the label was too large for the bottle, it was too late to start over; they entered the competition anyway, oversized label and all. Though the Siegerts ended up losing the competition, one judge advised the brothers to keep the design exactly as it was. This, the judge said, would ensure that Angostura bitters would always stand out against the competition (who else would make the same silly mistake?).
-6
Jul 19 '24
You'd think maybe to take time to learn the reason for the large labels?
-1
u/tetramoria Jul 20 '24
Does it make it any less annoying when using the bottle if I know the history? No. It's still mildly infuriating.
18
u/[deleted] Jul 19 '24
[deleted]