Sambuca
The Italian anise liqueur served with three coffee beans that turns milky white with water. What sambuca is, what the beans represent, and which glass goes with it.
Star anise, elderflower, and lots of sugar
Sambuca is an Italian liqueur with a pronounced anise flavor. It comes from star anise and green anise, with elderflower added; the drink presumably owes its name to this elderflower, sambucus in Latin. What distinguishes sambuca from other anise drinks is the amount of sugar: by law, it contains at least 350 grams per liter. This makes it noticeably sweeter and more syrupy than ouzo or pastis, even though it has a similar alcohol percentage.
Like ouzo, sambuca turns milky white when water is added. It is the same phenomenon: anethole from the anise does not dissolve in water and floats as tiny droplets. The classic Italian way, however, is without water: neat in a small glass, with three coffee beans in it. This is called con mosca, 'with the fly', and the beans traditionally represent health, happiness, and prosperity.
In brief
Four bottles, from classic white to black
The alcohol percentages are close. The difference lies in the sweetness, the spices, and in one bottle, even the color.
Molinari Sambuca
The world's best-known sambuca, from Rome. Full and spicy, with a distinct star anise flavor and a slightly drier finish than the others.
Luxardo Sambuca
From the house best known for its maraschino. Slightly softer and more floral, with the elderflower more prominent.
Vaccari Sambuca
One of the most approachable bottles on the shelf: smooth, sweet, and not overly spicy. A good introduction.
Opal Nera (black)
Black sambuca, colored and flavored with elderberries and lemon zest. Fuller and fruitier, and significantly less anise-forward.
Ouzo does the same with water but is drier, with aniseed and fennel instead of star anise.
Sweet, full of anise and slightly floral
Star anise & elderflower
Sweet star anise with a floral note of elderflower over it. Rounder and less sharp than the anise in ouzo.
Sweet and syrupy
Full, sweet and slightly syrupy from the sugar, with anise filling the entire mouth and leaving a cooling sensation.
Long and cooling
A long finish in which the sweetness subsides while the menthol-like coolness of the anethole lingers.
Flavor profile of a classic white sambuca. Black Opal Nera scores higher on fruitiness and lower on spiciness; ouzo scores considerably lower on sweetness.
Three ways to drink sambuca
In Italy, sambuca goes in the glass after a meal, alongside or in coffee. Sweetness and coffee complement each other here.
Con mosca
4 cl in a small glass with three coffee beans in it. You chew them as you drink: the bitterness of the coffee cuts right through the sweetness. Three beans, for health, happiness and prosperity.
Glass: liqueur glass →In or alongside espresso
A splash in a fresh espresso makes it a caffè corretto, literally a 'corrected coffee'. Or pour it alongside in a small glass and alternate sips.
Carajillo recipe →With water or over ice
Add an equal amount of cold water and the drink turns milky white and becomes much less sweet. It also works over ice, especially with the black variety, which is fruitier and pairs well with a twist of lemon.
Glass: tumbler →Cocktails with sambuca
A liqueur this sweet and distinctive is best enjoyed in small amounts. It naturally fits anything with coffee.
Carajillo
Espresso with liqueur, originally from Spain. With sambuca, it becomes a caffè corretto.
Espresso Martini
Vodka, espresso and coffee liqueur. A small splash of sambuca adds an anise note.
B52
Layered shot of coffee liqueur, cream liqueur and triple sec. Sambuca works as the top layer.
Making shots
The complete collection of shot recipes, from layered to ice-cold straight from the freezer.The right glass for sambuca
A small glass with room for three coffee beans, or a tumbler if you drink it with water or over ice. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Italian liqueurs on glazen.nl
We do not yet cover any sambuca brands themselves. These Italian bottles are listed, though.
Limoncello
The other Italian liqueur served ice-cold after dinner, but with lemon peel instead of anise.
To limoncello →
Disaronno
The best-known amaretto, playing the same role at the end of a meal, with a bitter almond note instead of anise.
About Disaronno →
Fernet-Branca
The Milanese herbal bitter with a strong menthol edge. Where sambuca is sweet, this one is distinctly bitter.
About Fernet-Branca →Our drinks page lists all the brands we cover, from liqueur to whisky.
Everything you still wanted to know about sambuca
Can't find your question? View our cocktail recipes or contact us.
To the cocktail recipes →