Sambuca Liquore Italiano
Sambuca is an Italian anise-flavoured liqueur, traditionally built around star anise and elderflower macerated into a sugar-and-alcohol base, a style that dates back to 19th-century Civitavecchia. It’s typically bottled between 38-42% ABV and known for its clear, syrupy body and pronounced liquorice-like sweetness. The classic Italian way to serve it is “con la mosca” (“with the fly”), a shot poured over three coffee beans said to represent health, happiness and prosperity, though it’s equally common neat, on ice, or as the anise base in an espresso-and-sambuca layered shot. Style-typical character runs sweet aniseed and liquorice on the nose, a thick, syrupy sweetness on the palate balanced by the bitterness of the coffee beans if served that way, and a long, clean, cooling aniseed finish.
