In a few weeks, due to medical reasons, I won't be able to have alcohol for three months (surgery, woo-hoo! ????????). So, I wanted to get in some good experimentation before giving it a break. I was browsing the local liquor store and stumbled upon Liquore Strega. It intrigued me, so I bought it. I had no clue what I was going to do with it, but in my heart, it felt right.

When I got home, I remembered I already had Lillet Rosé Apertif that I literally only got for one specific cocktail, and Smuggler's Notch Dry Hopped Gin. You see where this is going...Recipe is:

Equal parts of Strega, Lillet Rosé, and Smugglers Notch Dry Hopped Gin poured into a crystal mixing glass (I did 1.33 oz each, but whatever suits your fancy), stir with ice, pour over big cube.

After the first sip, I knew exactly why my gut told me to get the Liquore Strega. It's REALLY good. Even better than I was anticipating. I wasn't expecting this to be worth posting here, but the world deserves to know about this. I ran out of fruit, but an expressed orange peel would probably be great as a garnish. Orange bitters would likely be nice, too. That being said, I don't think it's necessary, just a nice little bonus.

If you're interested in getting into the botanical side of mixology, this is a great way to "stick your toes in the water", so to speak. It's more bright and refreshing than it is bitter, but still has a lot of complexity. The citrus notes from the dry hopped gin do a really great job bridging the fruitiness from the Lillet Rosé with the herbal depth of the Strega.

10/10, would drink again, probably will be my first drink after I'm medically cleared. Definitely stronger than it tastes. Handle with caution LOL.