I tried the recipe as specced and I have to agree with all the previous commenters who recommended removing the simple syrup, as the orange juice brings plenty of sweetness. That said, this is a very, very good cocktail. I will definitely try it with a few dashes of orange bitters next time.
Agree with the commenters below: I the orange juice is plenty sweet, so I omitted the simple syrup. The result was an exceptional cocktail. Next time, I'll try either / or cherry bitters or orange bitters. Stay tuned...
Also love Strega. Like others, I generally prefer less sweet cocktails so omitted 2:1 ss, and added 2 dashes of Coastal Root Pine Bitters to further reduce the sweetness and highlight the piney notes of Strega.
Anonymous
4th June 2021 at 12:01
We just discovered Strega and love it! We really enjoyed this cocktail. Not liking a lot of sweetness typically, we did not add the simple syrup. Next time, we are going to try going down 1/4 oz. on the Strega and the OJ. This is one of our new favorites!
I love Strega, so I always like to try cocktails that have it. The balance of Strega's boreal flavors with the sweet citrus and spiced rye make for a wonderfully fabulous, if unexpected, combination. I loved it from first sip to last, and will be making this again for sure! I might cut the rich syrup down to 1/8 oz, but that is just a personal preference. All in all, this is an awesome drink!
Great sipping/evening cocktail. As I like my cocktails a little sour, did not use the sugar syrup. Also, being in San Diego, we used Valencia oranges which tend to be sweet.