Developed in 1860 in Benevento, Italy, Strega is made with a mix of saffron—responsible for its shimmering yellow tint—and about 70 spices and herbs, including mint, cinnamon, white pepper, iris, nutmeg and juniper. Giuseppe Alberti and his father, Carmine Vincenzo Alberti, worked together on the liqueur, whose origin stories vary and are often dubious (not surprisingly, thanks to Benevento’s enchanting reputation as the “City of Witches.”). One such story begins with Giuseppe Alberti on a search for herbs when he happened upon a witch who had been trapped under a fallen tree branch. Alberti, upstanding citizen that he was, saved the witch and was given the recipe for Strega as a reward. Fitting then, that strega is the Italian word for “witch.”

While Italian bitter aperitifs have seen a boom in the United States in the past decades, Strega has struggled to find its niche, primarily because it stands out in a category all its own: predominantly savory, but still sweeter than Campari, Cocchi Americano and other aperitivi. Despite its differences, though, Strega works well in aperitif-style drinks and as an accent to classics like a Manhattan. Recent recipes made with the liqueur are cheekier: ‘90s-era Lemon Drops, for example, or throwback dessert drinks. It’s a surprisingly versatile ingredient, and if you’re not sure what to do with it, these easy recipes are a good place to start.