The Spirit World

To help folks along with this month’s “Raiders of the Lost Cocktail”, I thought it only appropriate that I expand upon some details regarding this month’s challenge ingredient, Strega.

Italy appears to be a fount of diverse and wonderfully complex liqueurs. Some of them, such as Vermouth, Campari, and Galliano, are widely known if not commonly used. Others, such as Cynar, Averna, and Strega are a little bit more clandestine, and need to be carefully searched out if you want to give them a try.

Strega gets its start back in the early 1860’s. Giuseppe Alberti based the recipe for his product on one which the local monks had been making up as a medicinal tonic. The recipe was enhanced with additional herbs and spices and was sold as “Alberti Medical Elixir.” Unfortunately, it wasn’t catching on. So with what amounts to a grand marketing inspiration, Giuseppe came upon the idea of renaming the product “Strega,” which means “witch” in Italian. In Benevento, where Strega is produced, there was a local belief of witchcraft, and one of the most popular uses was the formulation of a secret “love potion.” Giuseppe insinuated that his elixir was associated with this formula, and its popularity was assured.

The sunlight-yellow color of Stega comes primarily from saffron, which is one of approximately 70 different herbs and spices which go into this, you guessed it, secret recipe which apparently only two people at any given time know. Other notable ingredients include mint, and fennel, which blend with the other flavors to produce the type of delightful flavor profile that is both gentle and complex.

As with most of the Italian liqueurs, Strega is traditionally used as a “digestivo,” to be taken after a meal to help with digestion and relaxation. But its complex and herbatious flavor can also be used to provide interesting flavor nuances to cocktails and mixed drinks. One popular drink at the Zig Zag Café in Seattle is the “Strega Daiquiri:”

Strega Daiquiri

• 1 ounce light rum
• 1 ounce Strega
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice
• 1/2 ounce orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon orgeat

Shake with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Strega used to be fairly hard to find, but over the last couple of years, its availability has been increasing. I can only assume that this is due to an increase in popularity, although I still rarely see it in use. Hopefully our little “Raiders of the Lost Cocktail” will provide some inspiration and motivation to seeing it start to appear behind more bars.