Drink of the Week: The Nonantum

Continuing on the Red Hook variation trail I started to follow last week, here's a local take: The Nonantum. For those who live outside the Boston area, Nonantum, also called Silver Lake, is one the thirteen villages that make up the town of Newton, MA. A very interesting feature of Nonantum is "Lake Talk", a dialect spoken by locals in the area. Check out the Nonantum link about for a list of Lake dialect lingo.

The Nonantum calls for Strega, an apertivo, that is lightly scented with orange. I actually happen to own a bottle of Strega and am never quite sure what to do with it, so I was grateful to find this drink. I used it in a cocktail I invented called The Good Witch Bad Witch.

Evan Harrison of The Independent, a bar in Somerville, MA, is the creator of this cocktail. If you'd like to see him make one, click over here to How2Heroes to watch him in action.

The Nonantum

Combine in an iced mixing glass:

• 1 1/2 ounces rye whiskey
• 3/4 ounce Punt e Mes
• 3/4 ounce Strega
• dash Angostura
• dash orange bitters

Stir until very cold. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.