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strega swizzle

MAKES: Makes 1 drink

On a quest for the perfect summer sipper, we conspired with Eben Freeman, cocktail guru for chef Michael White’s restaurant empire, Altamarea Group. Designed to battle the heat at your next backyard gathering, this version of a swizzle features the bewitching Italian liquor Strega. The Italian word for witch, Strega hails from the sunny clime of Benevento, Campania, where legends of witchcraft inspired the name. The family recipe, which dates to 1860, is a brew of more than 60 herbs, including mint and fennel, with saffron imparting its unique color. You can now find this swizzle on the list at Ai Fiori restaurant in New York City.

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Ingredients

1/2 ounce simple syrup (see note)
1/2 ounce Gran Classico bitters
1/2 ounce Strega
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce pineapple juice
1 1/2 ounces pisco (preferably Barsol)
Peychaud bitters
1 slice lemon

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except Peychaud bitters and lemon in a cocktail shaker. Add ice. Shake and strain into chilled julep cup or 6-ounce flared cocktail glass. Fill with crushed ice, swizzle briefly and top with more crushed ice. Dash Peychaud bitters on top of crushed ice. Garnish with lemon slice.

NOTE: For simple syrup, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a saucepan and dissolve sugar over medium heat. Cool completely and store at room temperature.

July 2012