On today’s episode of A Tasting at The Murder Table, Strega Liqueur is what we’ll be talking about, and in addition to a review of this very curious Italian elixir, we’ll also make and try The Witch Word Cocktail, a riff on the classic The Last Word cocktail.

Before we get to the video, here’s a bit more information about Strega:

Strega liqueur is one of the most famous Italian liqueurs , it is unique and unmistakable for its taste, thanks to the exclusive use of natural ingredients. Its processing starts with the grinding of about 70 herbs and spices, they are being selected from all over the world, and each one of them has unique properties. Among these herbs we find Ceylon cinnamon, Florentine iris, Italian Apennine juniper, Samnite mint, which grows along the riverbanks in the whole region. The liqueur gets its characteristic yellow colour from the precious Saffron that is added to the herb distillate. Strega liqueur is aged in ash barrels over a long period of time to ensure a perfect blending of the different aromas.The resulting distillate is 40% proof and only after the ageing process is the liqueur bottled and distributed all over the world.

And here’s the recipe for The Witch Word:

INGREDIENTS
0.75 oz Strega Liqueur
0.75 oz Gin
0.75 oz Maraschino Luxardo
0.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice

INSTRUCTIONS
Shake with ice & strain into a cocktail glass. Pour the drink into a cocktail glass without ice. Garnish with a slice of lime.

We’ve always eyed up those beautiful liquid gold filled bottles of Strega that adorn many a back bar, but for whatever reason, neither of us has ever tried it. Based upon their description, it sounds like molto effort goes into the making of Strega, so we treated this like we’d treat any other well crafted spirit: first we tried it on its own, and then we tried it in the suggested cocktail. To find out what we thought of both, click the play button on the following video:

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Many thanks to Tara Ink PR for sending us this very generous sample!