Italicus Spritz

Over the summer, I was watching TCM and found an old movie that was set somewhere in Italy. I honestly don’t remember what it was called or who starred in it, luckily it isn’t important. The main character kept ordering a drink that I had never heard of before called Strega. After researching online, I learned that it was an herbaceous liqueur that according to legend was brewed by witches as a love potion. “Strega” means witch in Italian, hence the name of the drink.

A quick search on Pinterest resulted in a cocktail called a Witch Hunt, and I set off to my local liquor store. To my dismay, ‘Liquore Strega’ was not available. Refusing to give up, I kept searching and found favorites like Amaro del Capo, Campari, and Aperol. Then, my eyes locked onto the most beautiful bottle of booze I’ve ever seen in my life– Italicus. Roughly the size and shape of a wine bottle, the glass is a gorgeous blue-green like the Ligurian Sea of the Cinque Terre. The bottle stopper is black and white and it reminded me of majolica tile. For me, this bottle could not be more Italian.

I tried to figure out what Italicus was, but the only hint was the label that said “Rosolio di Bergamotto.” I correctly assumed that this meant bergamot citrus and bought the rather expensive bottle without searching for a recipe. After getting home, I was delighted to learn that it is made with Calabrian bergamot and herbs. The result is a floral, citrusy, herby delight. The Italicus Spritz is very refreshing in the summer, but we love the flavors so much that we drink it year round. Enjoy!

Italicus Spritz

Recipe from Steve the Bartender of Pinterest

Prep Time: 5 min

Level: Easy

Ingredients

1 part Italicus

2 parts Prosecco

Garnish of 3 Castelvetrano olives skewered

Ice

Directions

Fill a glass with ice.

Combine ingredients over ice and stir.

Garnish with olives.

-emily