The Necromancer
I recently discovered a very old liqueur called Strega. It’s an herbal liqueur from 1860 that resembles Chartreuse and has flavors of cinnamon and saffron. It’s really good! But the reason I chose to introduce you to it today is because of its name. Strega is Italian for “Witch”, and I thought what with Halloween on Wednesday, now would be the perfect time to make a cocktail using this witchy liqueur.
Developed in 1860 in Benevento, Italy, Strega was created by father and son, Carmine Vincenzo and Giuseppe Alberti. They decided to use a mixture of herbs and spices to create this classic liqueur. The yellow color comes from saffron while it has distinct notes of cinnamon, juniper and mint. But those four spices aren’t all that make up Strega. It’s actually made up of about 70 herbs and spices all told, creating a liqueur that’s sweet, spicy and rich. They chose the name, Strega, because Benevento had a reputation as a ‘City of Witches’ which is quite fitting considering how Carmine and Giuseppe supposedly came up with the recipe.
The story goes Giuseppe and his father were searching for herbs when they happened upon a witch who was trapped under a fallen tree. They saved the witch and in return she gave them the recipe for Strega as a reward. There was just one condition, they could only pass the recipe for the liqueur on to another family member shortly before death. That way the liqueur could continue to be made long after the father and son were gone. While I don’t know if this story is true or not, one thing is for sure, the liqueur is still around and it’s still a delicious choice for cocktails.
I came up with the Necromancer because I wanted to highlight the sweet spiciness of the liqueur without taking anything away. So, I thought about what would go with the Strega: pretty much anything with spice and/or herbal notes. Luckily I had both: gin and a homemade cinnamon simple syrup. The combination made for a delicious after dinner drink all on its own, but something was missing. It was good, but a little harsh. I needed something to mellow it out and I couldn’t think of anything better than an egg white. That egg white was perfect, it added a a nice layer of foam on top and gave the whole drink a silky quality that made the cocktail utterly satisfying. A cocktail I would imbibe any time of the year, but especially now, if for no other reason than to keep those wicked witches at bay.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce gin
- 1/2 ounce Strega
- 1/4 ounce homemade cinnamon syrup
- 1 egg white
- 3-4 dashes Peychaud's bitters
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except the Peychaud's into a cocktail shaker.
- Dry shake vigorously. Add ice and shake again until chilled. Strain into a cocktail coup. Add the Peychaud's on the top of the foam and serve.
