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Sambuca
Sambuca is one of those liqueurs that you often hear about but have may never had the chance or will to try. There are many different ways to drink sambuca and there is bound to be one that you may very much enjoy. Unless you had a specific reason to try it or if it just happened to be around it is one liqueur that everyone should try at least just once.
Sambuca is an Italian anise flavored liqueur. It is actually produced by the infusion of the white petals of the elderberry flower and aniseed of the anise plant. It is then sweetened by with sugar and enhanced with a secret combination of herbs and spices with a very distinct licorice taste. The word sambuca originates from the scientific name for the common elderberry - sambucus nigra. Sambuca is less sweet and usually has more of an alcohol content than other anise flavored liqueurs such as anisette. It also comes in both white and black sambuca. Black sambuca has a more distinctive licorice taste than the white sambuca. The black sambuca also is quite syrupy and is more difficult to set on fire. It also gets hotter when it is finally set on fire that the white variety.
There are many different ways to drink sambuca. I am going to list some of the most common ways.
Neat: Sambuca can be served neat or just as a refreshment.
On the rocks: It can be served with ice, optionally adding some coffee beans as an ornament. The ice enhances the flavors and changes the color of the drink from the transparent to dense white.
With toasted coffee beans: In Italy it is common to serve neat Sambuca with some floating coffee beans dropped on it: it is called sambuca con la mosca. The beans are there as an ornament, but they can be chewed to increase the taste of anise. It is usually served in restaurants with 3 coffee beans to represent health, happiness, and prosperity. The original meaning of the 3 beans were to represent the Christian trinity of the father, son and holy ghost.
In coffee: It can be added to coffee as a sweetener instead of sugar.
With water: It can be served by adding fresh water, making it refreshing with less of an alcohol bite to it.
Flaming sambuca: Sambuca may be served in a shot glass and then set on fire for a second or two. This process actually enhances the flavor of the anise also. Just remember the white sambuca will start on fire faster and is not quite as hot as if you were to try to use the black sambuca.
Sambuca is really one of a kind. I hope that this newsletter has given you a little bit of perspective about the liqueur and maybe even some curiosity about it as well. Some of you probably may have never even heard about Sambuca and can just walk away with the satisfaction of knowing what exactly it is and how it tastes. I would really suggest trying it at least once in your lifetime. It is never too late to try something new....
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