Chocolate Covered Torrone Bar

For the cocktail lover, this Strega-scented torrone from Strega Alberti, one of Italy’s most iconic candymakers, is the perfect sweet treat. Flavored with the herbal liqueur that made the Alberti family famous, it’s crisp and crunchy, studded with hazelnuts and coated in dark chocolate. It’s produced in Benevento in Campania, where torrone is a local specialty. The fifth-generation Alberti family has been producing theirs for over a century, using top-quality Italian ingredients in a process that marries ancient traditions with up-to-the-minute innovation.

A traditional Italian sweet that’s commonly enjoyed around Christmastime (although it’s delicious year-round!), torrone was likely first enjoyed by the ancient Romans. The creamy nougat made with nuts, honey, and egg whites can be found in different variations around the country—chewy or crunchy, studded with inclusions of all kinds. It often contains almonds, though hazelnuts and pistachios are also common, adding a roasted crunch to the creamy candy.

Alberti began in 1860 in Benevento, just northeast of Naples, making Strega liqueur, a bitter digestivo flavored with 70 different herbs and spices. The founder, Giuseppe Alberti, a savvy businessman, built his company next to the city’s train station to make it easier to export his product around Italy. He soon branched out into candymaking, and today, the fifth-generation members of the Alberti family are carrying on his legacy in that same historic building. The secret of Alberti lies in its ability to combine traditional products with technological progress. They’ve been the forefront of art and design for more than a century, and the iconic, extravagant Strega logo is instantly recognizable around the world.