🌿 Sambuca

Sambuca is a colourless anise-flavoured liqueur. Under EU Regulation 2019/787 (category 36) it contains distillates of anise, star anise or other aromatic herbs, has at least 350 g/l of sugar, 1 to 2 g/l of natural anethole and a strength of at least 38 % vol.

Colouring sambuca is forbidden, so by law it is always clear. Flavouring follows the liqueur rules (category 33): aniseed is among the plants for whose liqueurs only natural flavouring substances, flavouring preparations and flavouring foodstuffs are allowed. The word “liqueur” may be added to the legal name.

In Italy, Lazio’s regional agency ARSIAL describes three sambucas as traditional products: Roman (province of Rome), Viterbo (province of Viterbo) and the “old sambuca of Ciociaria” from Collepardo. The Roman one is made from essential oils of star anise and green anise obtained by steam distillation and is about 40 % vol. The Viterbo and Ciociaria versions include elderflowers and are 40–43 % and 42 % vol.

The same agency suggests drinking Roman sambuca neat after coffee, on ice or with cold water. One or two roasted coffee beans – the “fly” – are placed in the glass as a garnish and chewed while drinking. It cautiously traces the name, probably, to an Arabic word for an anise drink that arrived at the port of Civitavecchia.

Why it matters to you. Sambuca is a liqueur with at least 350 g/l of sugar, far sweeter than pastis (under 100 g/l). Under EU law a coloured drink cannot be called sambuca. Do not confuse it with the wine Sambuca di Sicilia. WHO: no safe level of alcohol exists.