The Witch Word
This pawtion is one of my favourites, in terms of both flavour and purpose. It is a powerful boost for your powers, especially with regards to spoken spells and incantations, but it's also the perfect drink for a Sabba. However, it is a pawtion of the alcoholic persuasion, so use your judgement as to when it is appropriate to use it: it's not gonna help you get a job if you show up drunk to the interview! Also, if alcohol is not your thing, that's fine. Just skip this and I'll see you next time.
There are two variants of this pawtion, and while I can't know for sure, I suspect the first one is the original. It is one of the endless variations of the Last Word, a very famous cocktail and also possibly the one with the best name1.
The eponymous ingredient in both is Strega, an Italian liqueur which name literally translates as Witch. This alone is full of meowgic, due to its origin story: Strega was created in 1860 in Benevento, a city in Southern Italy said to be the Mecca of all Italian witches. The founder of the brewery was allegedly inspired by the love filters of those witches to create his recipe, which includes meowgical ingredients such as cinnamon, orris root and wild mint and juniper. For these reasons, I put it in every pawtion and spells that requires an extra bit of meowgic, regardless on whether I am going to drink it or not.
Version 1: The Classic
Here is the first recipe of the pawtion, which is a standard variation of the Last Word.
Ingredients:
- 20 ml London dry gin
- 20 ml Maraschino
- 20 ml Strega
- 20 ml fresh lime juice
Shake all ingredients with ice, then strain into a coupe glass (or wine glass. Or whatever glass. It's fine). The act of the shaking is the perfect moment to infuse whatever energy or intention you may want for this particular batch.
Version 2: Overcharged!
Same quantities and preparation method, but swap the Maraschino for ginger liqueur. Ginger is used in witchcraft as a catalyst and power boost, and to attract luck. However, it also aligns with love and especially lust, which are themselves a source of power for many witches, and fits with the modern image of the Witch that Strega embraces. Use this version when you really need that extra push.
Happy mixing!
although Archibald's Last Memory and Bee's Knees are up there!↩