Sambuca
Sambuca is the Italian anise liqueur served with three coffee beans, and it turns milky white when water is added. Here you’ll learn what kind of drink it is, what the beans mean, how to drink it, and which glass to use.
Italian liqueurs with their own page
You’ll find the sambuca bottles further down under the varieties. These Italian liqueurs each have their own page on our site.
Limoncello
Another Italian drink served ice-cold after a meal. Here, though, you taste lemon peel, not anise.
Go to limoncello →Disaronno
The best-known amaretto. It’s also served at the end of a meal, but with a bitter almond note.
About Disaronno →
Fernet-Branca
Herbal bitter from Milan with plenty of menthol. Sambuca is sweet, while this one is distinctly bitter.
About Fernet-Branca →All the brands we cover are listed on our drinks page, from liqueurs to whisky.
What kind of drink is sambuca?
Sambuca is an Italian liqueur instantly recognizable by its anise flavor. That flavor comes from star anise and green anise, with elderflower added. Elderflower is called sambucus in Latin, which is probably where the name comes from. The main difference from other anise drinks is the sugar content. By law, it must contain at least 350 grams per liter. This makes sambuca much sweeter and more syrupy than ouzo or pastis, while the alcohol content is about the same.
Add water and sambuca turns milky white, just like ouzo. This is caused by anethole from the anise. It doesn't dissolve in water and remains suspended as tiny droplets. In Italy, though, people usually drink it without water. Neat, in a small glass, with three coffee beans in it. That's called con mosca, “with the fly.” According to tradition, the beans represent health, happiness, and prosperity.
In brief
Four bottles, from classic white to black
They differ little in alcohol content. What does vary is how sweet and spicy they are, and in one bottle, even the color.
Molinari Sambuca
From Rome and the best-known sambuca there is. Full and spicy, with lots of star anise and a slightly drier finish than the other bottles.
Luxardo Sambuca
Made by the house best known for its maraschino. Softer and more floral, with the elderflower coming through more clearly.
Vaccari Sambuca
Round, sweet, and not too spicy. One of the easiest bottles on the shelf to start with.
Opal Nera (Black)
Black sambuca with elderberries and lemon peel for color and flavor. Fuller and fruitier, with much less anise coming through.
Ouzo also turns white with water, but it's drier and uses anise seeds and fennel instead of star anise.
Sambuca tastes sweet, full of anise, and slightly floral
Star anise & elderflower
Sweet star anise, with something floral from the elderflower on top. Rounder and softer than the anise in ouzo.
Sweet and syrupy
Full and sweet, even a little syrupy from the sugar. The anise fills your whole mouth and leaves a cool sensation.
Long and cooling
The finish is long. First the sweetness fades, then the cool, almost menthol-like note of the anethole lingers for a while.
This is what classic white sambuca tastes like. Opal Nera is fruitier and less spicy. Ouzo is considerably less sweet.
How do you drink sambuca? Three ways
Italians drink sambuca after a meal, with coffee, or in their coffee. The sweetness of the liqueur and the bitterness of the coffee balance each other beautifully.
Con mosca
Pour 4 cl into a small glass and add three coffee beans. Chew them as you drink. The bitterness of the beans cuts the sweetness of the sambuca. One bean for health, one for happiness, and one for prosperity.
Glass: liqueur glass →In or alongside espresso
Add a splash to a freshly made espresso and you have a caffè corretto, or “corrected coffee.” You can also serve it in a small glass on the side and alternate sips.
Carajillo recipe →With water or over ice
Pour in an equal amount of cold water and it turns milky white and much less sweet. You can also serve it over ice. Black sambuca is especially good over ice with a twist of lemon peel, as it’s fruitier.
Glass: tumbler →Cocktails with sambuca
Use a sweet, distinctive liqueur like this sparingly. It always pairs well with coffee.
Carajillo
Spanish espresso with liqueur. Add sambuca for a caffè corretto.
Espresso Martini
Vodka, espresso, and coffee liqueur. A small splash of sambuca adds a hint of anise.
B52
A layered shot with coffee liqueur, cream liqueur, and triple sec. Sambuca can go on top.
Make shots
All our shot recipes together, from layered to ice-cold straight from the freezer.The right glass for sambuca
For con mosca, use a small sambuca glass that fits three coffee beans. If you drink it with water or over ice, use a tumbler. These are the sambuca glasses we recommend ourselves.
Questions about sambuca
Can't find your question here? Check out our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
To the cocktail recipes →What percentage alcohol does sambuca contain?
Why do you drink sambuca with coffee beans?
What is the difference between sambuca and ouzo?
Why does sambuca turn white when mixed with water?
What is black sambuca?
Do you drink sambuca cold or warm?
Buy sambuca
Want the bottle delivered straight to your door? Order sambuca online at Gall & Gall. Gall & Gall has 8, including 1 on sale.
Prices as of November 3, 2026, as provided by Gall & Gall. You can see the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy anything through these links; you pay nothing extra. No 18, no alcohol.
