I wish that the golden splendor of Strega showed up better in these photos. It is truly fluorescent, and the Strega website describes it as; "solar color". http://www.strega.it/ Check out their website. It is adorable. There are also tons of products that I had no idea existed. For the boozers there is also Strega Sambuca and Cream Strega. I have to get my hands on a bottle of Cream Strega.
This brilliant solar colored liqeuer is self proclaimed as "the most famous Italian liquor". I'm not sure if that's true, but maybe it's one of the oldest mass marketed liquors. I'll have to do some research. It's made with 70 herbs and "valuable spices from Europe, Central America and the Orient". Valuable is right! Saffron, the most expensive spice in the world is included in the mysterious blend. It' helps to give that "solar" glow to the nectar! I could only suss out mint and fennel as other confirmed ingredients.
I love the bottle and the label. There is a circular lithograph of a train station. It's the Stazione Ferroviaria de Benevento. Looking closely you can see a long building behind the station - that's the Strega factory! It was created in 1860 in Benevento. Of course there is a lot of lore and legend to this, but Guiseppe Alberti, originally from near Naples came to the town of Benevento where his father was unsuccesfully selling liqueur. Guissep' found an old love potion used by the local witches... oh yes, didn't you know, Benevento is a town between Rome and Naples and it's a famous meeting place for witches from all over the world! Strega means witch in Italian, so wonder no more why there is a broom-toting witch on the label!
This love potion can be used as a digestif, or drunk straight/over ice, or in cocktails. Last summer I had a great cocktail at Franny's in Brooklyn that used this with gin and orange juice (i think). I think they were calling it Il Solare... but I could be fabricating there. Franny's is great and so are the cocktails - if you haven't gone, you must!
Back to Strega... I poured a glass for myself while i was typing and was almost knocked over by its strong medicianal scent. When I actually took some time to discover the aroma, however, I was intriqued by its many layers. I guess that's what happens when you are layering ingredients in your love potion.
color: positively flourescent yellow - looks like syrupy Mountain Dew
nose: mint, white pepper, sage, curry, liquorice
palate: medicinal, sweet liquorice, viscous minty finish, not unlike a sweetened Listerine
I may not drink this every night, but I certianly feel cool having this in my liquor cabinet!
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