Sambuca

Facts and Information about the Sambuca Liqueur
The alcoholic drink Sambuca is an anise-flavored liqueur, produced by the infusion of white petals of the elderberry flower, sweetened with sugar and enhanced with a secret combination of herbs and spices with a distinctive licorice taste.  It is less sweet and higher in alcohol content than other anise-flavored liqueurs, such as Anisette, and has the the flavor of black licorice. The name 'Sambuca' originates from the scientific name for the Common Elderberry (Sambucus nigra). Liqueurs are sweet alcoholic drinks which are flavoured with a variety of different ingredients and come in a variety of different colors. The word 'liqueur' derives from the Latin word 'liquifacere' which means to melt or dissolve - the flavorings used to make liqueurs are dissolved.

List of Recipes which contain Sambuca
Anise is also used in anise-flavored liqueurs such as Galliano, Absinthe, Raki and Arak. These particular drinks contain no sugar and are thus flavored liquors rather than liqueurs. Anise is the dominant ingredient used in the notorious absinthe drink which is banned in most countries. It is also used in soft drinks such as root beer. Sambuca is an Italian liqueur which is also flavored with anise and the elderberry. The Sambuca liqueur in these drink recipes can be substituted with Pernod, Ouzo or Anisette. Click any of the following links on the list for recipes which contain this famous liqueur:

Information about Sambuca
Liqueurs are flavored with a whole variety of different ingredients! These ingredients include fruits, herbs, spices, flowers, seeds, nuts, roots, plants, barks, eggs and cream. The following list details the main ingredients of Sambuca together with other info about this famous liqueur.

• Main ingredients of Sambuca - Aniseed from the anise plant and the white petals of the elderberry flower

• Country of origin - Italy

• Color - Clear

Additional background information about Sambuca
Additional background information about Sambuca:

• The small white flowers of the anise plant bloom in mid-summer and are followed by tiny liquorice-flavored fruits called aniseed

• Sambuca Liqueur has the the flavor of liquorice

• Sambuca comes in two varieties - Black and White

• First produced in the 1800s by the Molinari family in the area of Civitavecchia, the nearest port to Rome

• The drink first originated in Asia

White Sambuca
White sambuca has a more aniseed taste than the black variety and is usually not as thick and syrupy.

A flaming Sambuca is made by lighting the white drink in a shot glass and allowing it to burn with a small blue flame. The flame is then extinguished by placing the palm of the hand over the top of the glass. This results in  the flame being extinguished and the glass sticking to the hand due to suction. The flaming zambuca drink is then consumed whilst still warm.

Black Sambuca
Black sambuca has a more distinctive liquorice taste than the white variety and is quite thick and syrupy.  The black variety is more difficult to set fire to and when it is eventually lit it tends to burn a lot hotter.

How to serve the Sambuca Coconut Liqueur
Liqueurs are made in nearly every country of the world and come in a variety of different flavors and colors. This makes every liqueur drink, such as Sambuca, an extremely versatile drink. Liqueurs can be served:

• Straight up - Perfect as after dinner drinks and usually served at room temperature

• On the rocks - If a cold drink is preferred liqueurs can be chilled and served over ice cubes or mixed with crushed ice

• Served with coffee

• Liqueurs can be mixed with cream or other mixers to create some really good and extremely colorful cocktails

• An Italian tradition serves the drink with with 3 to 4 coffee beans floating on the surface which is called Sambuca con mosca (literally meaning "with flies"). The liqueur is then lit which "roasts" the beans and infuses the liqueur with the coffee flavor.

Rainbow Liqueur Drinks - Floating Liqueurs
Ever wondered how bartenders create those unusual rainbow effects when making cocktails? They use a method called 'Floating liqueurs' which is achieved by 'floating' a measure of liqueur in a glass by pouring it slowly over an inverted spoon or down a glass rod on top of previous layers. This creates a rainbow effect in a glass when using different colored liqueurs or cordials. Liqueurs are sometimes referred to as Cordials, which causes some confusion. In America a cordial mean a sweet, syrup like alcoholic beverage. However, in the UK a cordial means a non-alcoholic, sweet, syrupy drink!

Quantities and Proportions of ingredients in Sambuca cocktail drinks
Quantities of ingredients tend to cause confusion - no problem, just use the correct proportions of each ingredient to create the best authentic & original Sambuca cocktail recipe! You can use a thimble, cup or even a pitcher ( if you are making this recipe for a group or a crowd ) when you make a cocktail! The following simple guidelines will also help with the different quantities referred to in other cocktail recipes:

• 1 oz (ounce) equals 2 tbsp (tablespoons) or 3 cl (centilitres)

• 30ml equals 1 oz

• 1 shot equals 3 tbsp (tablespoons) or 1½ oz (ounces) or 45 ml (millilitres)

• 1 cup equals 8 oz (ounces) or 24 cl (centilitres) or 240 ml (millilitres)

This drink is often mis-spelled as Zambuca, Sambucca, Zambucca and Samboca.