🥃 Strega
Strega is an Italian herbal liqueur from Benevento: about 70 herbs and spices, golden colour from saffron, 40% ABV (80 proof); made since 1860 by the Alberti family.
Strega is an Italian herbal liqueur from Benevento in Campania. It has a golden-yellow colour from saffron and a strength of 40% ABV (80 proof), and its recipe uses about 70 herbs and spices. It is made by Strega Alberti Benevento S.p.A., which today is run by the sixth generation of the Alberti family.
History. According to the producer, the liqueur was created in 1860 in Benevento; the founder is named as the entrepreneur Giuseppe Alberti. Difford's Guide clarifies that Giuseppe was a wine merchant and that his sons were the first to sell the drink; the recipe, according to this source, is old, and the Albertis refined it. The name "strega" means "witch" in Italian, and the drink is linked to the legends of the witches of Benevento.
How it is made. According to Difford's Guide, more than 70 plants are infused in grain spirit and then distilled in traditional long-necked copper stills. Saffron is added together with sugar syrup during blending, and the liqueur is aged in wood for several months before bottling. The producer's website lists Ceylon cinnamon, Florentine iris, Apennine juniper and mint from Sannio among the ingredients.
Taste. Difford's Guide describes it as a complex herbal liqueur with notes of mint, menthol, fennel, vanilla and pine. Thanks to the sugar and saffron it is thicker than bitter herbal drinks.
Why this matters to you. Strega is a liqueur, meaning it contains a lot of sugar, so it feels softer than 40% ABV suggests. The strength is the same as whisky or gin. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe amount of alcohol.
Facts
| Year founded | 1860, Benevento, Giuseppe Alberti |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Reg. (EU) 2019/787, Annex I: liqueur (category 33) |
| EU category | 33, liqueur |
| Raw material | about 70 herbs and spices, saffron; grain spirit; sugar syrup |
| Distillation method | maceration in grain spirit, then distillation in long-necked (swan neck) copper stills |
| Cask type | wooden vessels; ageing for several months (Difford's Guide) |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Strega → kind of → 🍸 Liqueurs → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Italians
- Part of
- 🍸 Liqueurs
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Jägermeister, 🥃 Becherovka, 🥃 Campari, 🥃 Beirão, 🥃 Beirão, 🥃 Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, 🥃 Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, 🥃 Centerbe
Frequently asked questions
Is Strega yellow because of a dye?
No. According to the producer and Difford's Guide, the yellow comes from saffron added during blending.
Is it a liqueur or a spirit under UK and EU labelling?
A liqueur, in the sweetened category of Regulation (EU) 2019/787, yet at 40% ABV it is as strong as many whiskies and gins.
Why do English bottles show both ABV and proof?
US labels often add eighty proof beside 40% ABV. It is the same strength, but the sugar makes it taste softer.
Is Strega the same as Strega Limoncello in a shop?
No. They are different liqueurs, so read the full name and the ABV on the label.
What do the Italians serve with Strega after a meal?
Neat, chilled or on ice, as they take it after a meal. Desserts and pastries suit its saffron and mint notes.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Italians — The people of Italy; their cuisine rests on wine, olive oil and cheese, and in 2025 the country made 44.4 million hectolitres of wine, the most in the world.
- 🥃 Jägermeister — Jägermeister is a German herbal liqueur from Wolfenbüttel: 56 herbs, flowers, roots and fruits are steeped in alcohol, then the base ages for about a year in oak casks. The classic is 35% ABV (70 proof).
- 🥃 Centerbe — Centerbe is a strong herbal liqueur from Abruzzo, Italy; the name means “hundred herbs”. Centerba Toro has been made in Tocco da Casauria since 1817; Centerba Forte is 70% ABV (140 proof), according to the producer.
Similar
🥃 GranGala · 🥃 Frangelico · 🥃 Galliano · 🥃 Beirão · 🥃 Goldschläger · 🥃 Killepitsch
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Difford's Guide: Liquore Strega (Strega Alberti Benevento; 40 %; Giuseppe Alberti 1860; over 70 botanicals; saffron; swan-neck pot stills; wood maturation)
- Strega (producer): Liquore Strega (Benevento 1860; Giuseppe Alberti; about 70 herbs and spices; saffron; 40 % vol.; six generations)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I (categories of spirit drinks)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)