Happy Halloween! I think Halloween may be overtaking Christmas as people’s favourite holiday! Kids (and their parents), right now, are probably worried about what they should be dressed as for trick or treating. Wonder Woman (you go, girl!)? Sean Spicer? Peppa Pig? Your favourite Paw Patrol Pet? The Handmaiden’s Tale? Your favourite Game of Thrones character? Donald Trump (how scary do you want to be)?
Choices were a little different when I was a kid. We usually dressed up as a clown, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman (nice to see she is back in vogue!) or the tried and true witch! After all, to be a witch, you could get away with a pointed hat (bristol board, anyone?) and black cape. If you wanted to be fancy, a green face or maybe a wart. Easy peasy, you were done.
As an adult, I have a fondness for a witch of a different colour! Which witch? Strega!
The first time I saw a bottle of Strega, I was in Italy. The colour was what I noticed first. This bright yellow bottle glowed at me (I had the same experience years later when I first saw Verveine, but I digress). You couldn’t help but look at it, it was a cross between sunshine and neon.
Strega, which means “witch” in Italian, I thought, was a rather odd name for a yellowish liqueur.
Like Amaro, Strega is a herbal, bitter liqueur produced in Italy since 1860, in Benevento (in the Campania region), Italy. Strega was created by Giuseppe Alberto from a blend of 70 herbs, including fennel, Ceylon cinnamon, Florentine iris, Italian Apennine juniper and Samnite mint, which grows along the riverbanks in the whole region. The product is barrel-aged in ash barrels for a long nap prior to being ready for prime time. The ingredients are all natural. The shocking yellow colour? Well, all I can say is that Strega’s wild about saffron.
The seal on the label indicates that is was made under a warrant to the King of Italy. (Oh, it’s good to be the King!)
But what’s with the name? Is it because tasting this concoction casts a spell on you and you have to have more? One story is that there were many reports of witchcraft in the Benevento region, going back to the time of the Lombard invasion. Benevento was said to be an area for witches. In fact, it was sort of like a witch UN. It was an international seat of witches’ rites and witches from around the world would meet at night and dance around a walnut tree. The same witches were said to make a brew that would make couples fall in love and be united forever. Hmmmm…..does this make Strega the original Love Potion Number 9?
Putting superstition aside, Strega makes a habit of giving back to its Italian community. The Premio Strega prize, awarded since 1947, and founded by Giudo Alberto, is considered the top and most prestigious literary prize in Italy.
Strega, like other Italian liqueur and digestif companies, excelled at advertising and is still well known for its fabulous art nouveau posters.
If you are looking for the company in Benevento, they’ve been located in the same building since their inception, besides the train station (road trip anyone?). The reason behind the location? Giuseppe Alberto recognized the need to be able to transport their product to the world. Strega is available in over 50 countries worldwide! If you’re going to visit, a Strega museum is onsite.
Five generations later, Strega is still made using the same secret family recipe. In Italy, the love for Strega is so great that a whole confectionary line has now been created including Torrone Strega, nougats, baked specialties (especially at Easter and Christmas…Strega Panettone!) and Strega Chocolates!
This year for Halloween, raise a glass of Strega and give a toast to the witch! Drink a glass with your loved one and be united forever!
Check back next week for cocktails using Strega!
Loved this article!
Thanks! It was fun to learn more about this iconic Italian liqueur!