What is sambuca made from? What is sambuca made from? Composition and preparation technology

To attract customers, bartenders put on a real show. They juggle bottles, twirl glasses in their hands, mix wildly colored liquids and even set fire to prepared cocktails! It’s quite difficult to tear yourself away from such a mesmerizing action, and we, as if under hypnosis, take out the money and order something even more enchanting. One of the most popular alcoholic drinks in bars and clubs is Italian anise liqueur. Sambuca».

The word “sambuca” itself may seem unfamiliar to you, but everyone knows the anise flavor. One only has to remember the famous aniseed vodka, Bulgarian mastic, Greek ouzo, French pastis or Turkish raki. Residents of many countries add anise to their national strong alcoholic drinks, because everyone knows how useful this ingredient is, used to make medicines.

Of course, sambuca is considered an Italian drink, but we hasten to sow doubts about this fact. The world first saw a drink that tasted like sambuca during the Middle Ages. It was then that the Saracens brought zammut, an anise-based drink, to Rome. The Italians liked zammut; they drank it as a medicine, as an aperitif before meals, and just for fun. This is how the anise drink took root in Italy.

Now it is no longer possible to say exactly how the recipe and production technology of this drink has changed over time. Nowadays, sambuca contains sugar, anise, wheat alcohol and aromatic herbs. Which ones exactly, and in what quantity, are a trade secret that only manufacturers can know. But how did it happen that the zammut drink suddenly began to be called sambuca? Similarity of names anise drink and elderberry, which in Italian sounds like sambucus, gave rise to rumors that sambuca contains elderberry extract, after which the liqueur got its name. However, this statement in connection with the statement of the largest producer of sambuca, the Molinari company, that elderberry has nothing to do with the drink, raises doubts. There are other speculations regarding the origin of the name that seem more plausible. It is believed that the liqueur was named sambuca in honor of the name of the type of ship that transported this drink, or in honor of the city in the province of Tuscany. Which of these versions to believe and whether to believe at all is up to you to decide.

The coastal city of Civitavecchia became an iconic place in the history of sambuca. It was there in 1800 that Luigi Manzi improved the recipe for anise liqueur, which he immodestly called Sambuca Manzi, and brought his product to market. Already in 1875, Virgil Pallini began producing sambuca at his distillery near Rome. However, it was not until 1945 that Angelo Molinari founded an entire company producing sambuca. The liqueur produced by him was called Sambuca Molinari.

The beginning of the production of sambuca using an updated recipe coincided with the end of the Second World War. In Italy in the 50s, social life developed on an incredible scale, and places where bohemians gathered appeared. And, as you know, where there is bohemia, there is chic, luxury, camera flashes, music and expensive alcohol. To sell something to a bohemian, you need to make it chic, fabulous and amazing.

Molinari was able to present his drink in such a way that people were interested in it. He came up with a new way to serve it: burning liquor with coffee beans at the bottom. In addition to a new shade of taste, drinking this drink has become spectacular, attracting attention, and thanks to the alcoholic vapors released when burning, also intoxicating. Received with great enthusiasm by bohemians, sambuca acquired a new meaning; it was now considered the drink of the rich and fortunate and became attractive to others. Thus, it was Angelo Molinari who made sambuca special and then a fashionable drink. Today Molinari is not the only manufacturer of sambuca; the most famous brands now are Pallini, Molinari, Luxardo and Barbero.

Speaking about sambuca, one cannot fail to mention the ways to consume this liqueur. Often, the preparation of sambuca is accompanied by a colorful show with the drink being set on fire, but you should immediately warn that no one drinks this drink while it is on fire, the risk of burning your face or setting your hair on fire is too great.

Sambuca can be drunk neat or with ice, but as soon as it starts to melt, the liqueur will become cloudy, resulting in a milky white, refreshing drink. It is popular to drink sambuca with coffee, due to which the drink acquires an unusual taste and aroma. The classic way to drink this drink is called con mosca, which means with flies. The essence of this method is that the liqueur is served with three coffee beans, which are thrown directly into the drink and set off the overly sweet taste of sambuca with their bitterness. Then the drink is set on fire and drunk only after it goes out, without allowing it to cool. The sweetness is eaten with the coffee beans remaining at the bottom.

The following method is used along with the classic one. You need two glasses, one is a cognac snifter, the other is an old fashion. 30 ml of sambuca is poured into a cognac glass and carefully tilted so that part of the drink remains on the walls, after which it is set on fire. After ten seconds, the burning liquor is poured into a second glass, and an empty snifter is placed on top to block the access of oxygen and extinguish the flame. As soon as the fire disappears, the cognac glass is placed upside down on a saucer with a napkin. Now you can drink sambuca and inhale through the tube the contents of the snifter.

Sambuca can often be found in various cocktails, for example “fire”. When preparing it, a tall glass and several types of alcoholic drinks are used, the strength of which increases from bottom to top. First, light liqueur is poured into the glass, then champagne, sambuca, vodka and finally absinthe is added. Then the drink is set on fire and a straw is inserted into it, after which it can be drunk. If the taste seems too sweet, you can wash down the cocktail with lemon juice.
To find out which method of drinking sambuca is right for you, you will have to try everything, because each taste may be unexpected. But no matter what method is chosen, you will not be left without a whirlwind of unforgettable sensations of taste and aroma, and perhaps you will turn into an ardent fan of this liqueur. Try, experience new sensations and experiment, and we will introduce you to cocktail recipes based on sambuca!

Russian Roulette

Ingredients:
15 ml vodka,
15 ml coffee liqueur,
30 ml sambuca,
1 slice of orange.

Preparation:
Pour vodka and coffee liqueur into a glass, cover everything with an orange slice. Pour sambuca into a wine glass and set it on fire. Pour the burning sambuca onto the orange circle and let it burn a little, then put it out, covering it with something. Drink a cocktail in one gulp and snack on an orange soaked in sambuca.

Storm and Luxury

Ingredients:
30 ml Becherovka,
20 ml light rum,
10 ml sambuca,
120 ml grapefruit juice,
1 lime,
ice.

Preparation:
In a tall glass, mix Becherovka, sambuca, light rum, grapefruit juice and add thinly sliced lime. Add ice and drink gradually.

Spider Bite

Ingredients:
30 ml silver tequila,
30 ml black sambuca,
150 ml cola,
15 ml vanilla ice cream,
ice

Preparation:
Place three ice cubes in a glass. Pour tequila, add cola and black sambuca. Place a small spoonful of vanilla ice cream on the surface of the cocktail. Drink gradually.

Working behind the bar, I was a little surprised by the fact that many people did not know how to drink sambuca correctly. In my understanding, this is a drink that for some reason still belongs to the “elite” category, which has long been equal in popularity to tequila or absinthe. On the one hand, the liqueur has become popular thanks to club culture, because the process of drinking it looks enchanting and exciting. Not everyone is attracted to club life. But today sambuca can be bought in almost any supermarket and the price has long ceased to be “biting”. I told you how to drink absinthe in a previous article (you can find it), it’s time to dispel a little myths about sambuca.

Italian sambuca liqueur - essence

So, sambuca is an Italian liqueur with a pronounced anise flavor. This is not anise vodka, as some sources like to write - it is something completely different. In addition, sambuca is not a liqueur in the usual sense of the word, that is, it is not a sweet drink of low strength. It is more of a bitters with added sugar. The process of its production is similar, that is, first an infusion is made, and only then it is distilled - you can read more about making homemade sambuca. The alcohol content in sambuca is about 38-42%. It is infused with star anise and various aromatic herbs; The recipe is kept secret by each manufacturer.

The drink is credited with a number of beneficial properties, which, however, explains its pharmaceutical taste - many equate sambuca with the children's cold medicine, pectusin. I have observed the therapeutic effect more than once :) Well-heated sambuca helps with colds, relieves coughs, and has an anti-inflammatory effect. There is also an opinion that it strengthens the immune system. It is reliably known that the drink stimulates digestive activity: as an aperitif it stimulates the appetite, and as a digestif it improves digestion.

Why does sambuca burn? The question is reasonable, because the strength in it is the same as in vodka, but at the same time the density is much higher due to the high sugar content. Fusel oils burn, which have a low combustion temperature - the flame is bright blue. This means that sambuca should be consumed in small quantities, since various impurities hit the body hard and after heavy libations a hangover is practically unavoidable.

As for the post-Soviet space, the drink has become quite widespread in our country - it is an integral attribute of any bar, restaurant, and especially nightclub. The drink is represented on the domestic market by several popular brands: Molinari, Itaka, Pallini. You can also find rarer brands: Sambuca Dei Cesari Luxardo, Ramazzotti, Lazzaroni 1851, Casoni and Vaccari. However, they rarely drink this drink correctly. Let's fix this.

How to drink sambuca at home

Let's move on to the most interesting part. The culture of drinking sambuca was largely formed due to its properties to burn well. Bartenders use this successfully, offering their guests not only a drink, but also some fun. I have identified 10 main ways to drink sambuca that I have encountered and tried, if not on myself, then on my guests in bars :)

In its purest form. As mentioned earlier, sambuca is both a good aperitif and an excellent digestif. Therefore, it can be drunk in its pure form both before and after meals. 40-50 ml is enough to stimulate appetite or improve digestion.

With water or ice. Unlike whiskey (this refers to the dull taste and aroma of whiskey with ice, which is described in detail in the article), sambuca behaves well with ice - it quenches thirst well, and cold water helps to fully reveal the taste of the drink. Like absinthe, sambuca becomes cloudy when water is added, which is due to the content of essential oils in it, which form an emulsion with water. The amount of water is selected individually, according to taste.

Frozen. Place the bottle in the freezer for several hours. Afterwards you will receive an excellent soft drink that can be consumed neat with a slice of orange or lemon.

Suitable just for medicinal purposes: the drink should be set on fire and allowed to burn out, and then drunk warm, without snacking. This is not how people drink sambuca everywhere.

Choose high-quality cookware with thick walls, as heated glass may burst. Be careful with burning drinks - they ignite quickly and can cause burns!

Italians are used to drinking this drink a little differently. They do not set fire to sambuca, considering this a blasphemy of the drink. In Italy it is consumed in more traditional ways.

Sambuca con mosca (literally "with flies"). 3 whole coffee beans are placed in a glass of sambuca, which symbolize health, wealth and happiness. In many sources, this method is accompanied by setting the drink on fire, but in Italy, as noted above, the drink is not set on fire - the grains act as a snack and give sambuca a piquant taste.

Сaffe corretto. A very popular drink in Italy, where coffee is treated with great respect. Sambuca is added to coffee instead of sugar. Most often, to 4 parts of espresso it is enough to add 1 part of anise liqueur. The quantity can be increased to 2 parts (that is, 30 ml espresso and 15 ml sambuca). The liqueur can also be served separately - drink it in small sips and wash it down with aromatic, deeply roasted coffee, which the hot-tempered natives of Italy love so much.

Two-glass method. It is also sometimes called the “method with a powerful effect.” Most often, sambuca is drunk this way in nightclubs. We will need a cognac (snifter), a rocks glass (a glass with wide straight walls), a napkin, a straw, a saucer, a lighter, 3 coffee beans and sambuca (25-50 ml). The grains in this case are a tribute to the classic Italian recipe - they need to be put in cognac, and sambuca should be added there. Before lighting, prepare a “platform” for the vapor: place a napkin with a hole in the middle on a saucer, where you insert the short part of the straw.

Place the cognac on the rocks glass, warm it slightly with a lighter and set the contents on fire. Then rotate the burning glass by the stem around its axis for 10-60 seconds, depending on your preferences (whether you like hot or slightly warmed sambuca). Then pour the burning sambuca into a rocks glass and cover it with cognac on top - the flame will go out. Transfer the inverted cognac to a saucer. Drink sambuca and breathe in the cognac vapor through a straw, chew the grains. The order can be changed: first breathe in the vapor, and then drink the drink. To enhance the effect, you can drip the remaining drink onto the bottom of an inverted cognac and inhale it through your nose through a short straw. We called it “sambuca with cocaine” :)

Important. Take lightly roasted coffee beans - overcooked ones will give an unpleasant bitter taste!

It's better to see it once:

Extreme way. This option is exclusively for the club and requires some skill from the bartender. In the first case, you need to pour sambuca into your mouth, wipe your lips dry and throw back your head without closing your mouth. The bartender must set the drink on fire right in your mouth. When you feel a slight heat, close your mouth and swallow the drink. This method is impressive, but the danger is minimal. In the second case, the drink is heated in cognac and poured into the mouth while it’s burning. Do not try this at home, as this method of consumption requires the skill and steady hand of an experienced bartender. It is very important here not to be afraid and not to close your mouth; For insurance, the area around the mouth can be moistened with water.

Sambuca at home. Take a ceramic teapot and fill it with boiling water. Then, drain the kettle and immediately add 50 ml of sambuca. Shake the contents and drink, but before doing so, exhale deeply and inhale the vapors of the drink through the spout of the kettle.

In cocktails. Sambuca is good because it has a high density, which means it can be used as a base for. Its transparency also plays into its favor, which allows you to make the drink even more impressive by dripping Baileys or Grenadine (pomegranate syrup) into it. It is rarely added to long drinks, because the anise flavor dominates the cocktail and overpowers the other ingredients. Of the sambuca shots, the most popular are Hiroshima (sambuca, Baileys, absinthe, grenadine), Kazantip (Kalua, sambuca, grenadine, Baileys and absinthe) and, probably, Audi (sambuca, Malibu, Cointreau, white rum).

I also heard that sambuca can be drunk with cold milk, but not mixed, but washed down. It's hard to imagine, but it's worth a try. Now you know how to drink sambuca correctly in almost all currently known ways. Tell your friends and acquaintances about this or don’t tell it - you will be the keeper of the sacrament of drinking some alcoholic beverages :) Read our magazine, drink only good things and do it right!

P.S. How you should not drink sambuca:

When we hear the word “liqueur”, an image of a thick, even slightly viscous substance, very sweet in taste and not containing a large percentage of alcohol, appears before our eyes. However, sambuca liqueur breaks stereotypes, offering us a new interpretation of this term. In Latin, the name of this drink sounds like “liquor”, which means “liquid”. So in most European languages this term refers to strong alcoholic drinks, regardless of their consistency. That is why Sambuca liqueur has every right to be called this way, although it is a colorless liquid, the alcohol content of which can reach 38 - 42%.

So, when we have figured out the physical state of this delicacy, it’s time to talk about its taste. It's time to feel nostalgic for those whose childhood was during the existence of the Soviet Union. Remember the aroma and sharp, tart taste of cough syrup? If you decide to buy sambuca liqueur, be sure to remember. And it's all about the anise that is part of this drink. In general, manufacturers do not provide an exact recipe for how exactly Sambuca anise liqueur is prepared. However, some of the ingredients are still known, and based on this information one can already judge the taste of this drink.

In addition to the notorious star anise, which causes attacks of nostalgia, sambuca liqueur includes wheat alcohol, of course sugar, elderberry extract and aromatic herbs unknown to mere mortals, which are kept secret by the producers. By the way, it is black elderberry that is added in order to somewhat soften the effect of anise.

By the way, if you want to buy sambuca liqueur, remember - it can not only be transparent, this is quite normal. Its taste directly depends on the color of the drink. So, sambuca can be of three types:

White Sambuca (transparent) . Traditional sambuca liqueur, which should be sweet but not cloying, combines the refreshing tones of lemon and anise. This drink is moderately viscous, not too alcoholic in smell, has a delicate aroma and a long aftertaste.

Black Sambuca . Prepared on the basis of the classic version of this drink. In fact, black sambuca has more of a dark blue tint. The liqueur gets its color thanks to the addition of certain spices, as well as licorice and licorice extracts. They not only give the drink a more impressive appearance, but also somewhat soften its taste.

Red Sambuca . This liqueur is also a variation of the classic drink. It is tinted with extracts from berries. Naturally, red sambuca will taste slightly different from its counterparts precisely for this reason.

It must be said that both men, who are attracted by its strength, and ladies, attracted by its taste and aromatic qualities, are not averse to buying sambuca liqueur. However, everyone has their own favorite way to consume this drink, which not least depends on the taste sensations received from it.

For men looking for strong impressions, we can recommend the classic method, which is called “with flies.” When using it, sambuca liqueur is not only flavored with coffee beans, but also set on fire. As a result, its taste becomes less sweet and cloying, which men will like.

But women can soften the harsh taste of sambuca by adding water to it or simply freezing the bottle. In the latter case, it is also customary to eat the liqueur with a slice of lemon or orange. Citrus fruits will definitely beat off the annoying tones of cough syrup, making the aniseed sambuca liqueur softer.

There are those who prefer to drink this drink in its pure form. It’s worth following their example, if not for the taste, but also for the health benefits. They say that when coughing, sambuca anise liqueur can bring relief.

Many connoisseurs of quality alcohol often have questions about sambuca: what kind of drink it is, what its beneficial properties are and how, according to the rules of drinking culture, it should be consumed.

To understand them, you should study information about the composition of sambuca and its varieties, as well as read the recommendations for its use.

What is Sambuca?

The drink belongs to Italian high-strength liqueurs. His recipe was developed in the mid-20th century. If you are interested in what sambuca is made from, you need to consider the main ingredients that make up it:

spring water;
drinking alcohol made from wheat grains;
sugar;
black elderberry extract;
common and star anise;
fennel;
spices;
essential oils.

Manufacturers do not disclose the exact recipe, and the manufacturing technology is a trade secret.

If you don't know how many degrees there are in sambuca, carefully read the numbers on the label. The strength can vary between 38-42% and depends on the degree of dilution of the alcohol and the proportions of the components taken. Sambuca, the degrees of which are quite high, has a low calorie content: 240 kcal per 100 g of product.

Types of drink

Liquor is classified by color, the following types are usually distinguished:

White sambuca. The traditional type of drink is a clear liquid with a rich sweet taste and a specific lemon-anise aroma. In addition to the main ingredients, the composition contains coriander, iris inflorescences, and orange. The classic alcoholic product is characterized by a long, light aftertaste. In drinking establishments, it is customary to serve this sambuca with coffee beans thrown into a glass. They are believed to be symbols of prosperity, happiness and health.
Black Sambuca. This type of drink is considered elite and has a dark blue color. It is obtained by adding licorice root to the composition. Thanks to licorice and other spices and herbal ingredients, the dark liqueur acquires a particularly refined freshness of taste and an unsurpassed sophisticated aroma.
Red Sambuca. This dessert type is characterized by a rich red or crimson color, which is obtained by adding various fruit and berry extracts to traditional ingredients. The drink has a sweet taste and intense aroma, has a moderate viscosity and a pleasant fruity aftertaste. Due to the complexity of production, only a few manufacturers produce fruit liqueur for sale.

In addition, in some stores you can find a coffee version of the drink. To make this liquid, beans of various types of coffee are used. There is also chocolate sambuca, which is characterized by increased sweetness and strong viscousness. However, these species are not included in the generally accepted classification.

Useful properties and applications

Thanks to the herbal extracts and essential oils it contains, anise liqueur is often used for medicinal purposes. If consumed hot, the drink treats colds and coughs well and has an anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, the liquid has the following beneficial properties:

improves digestion;
acts as an antidepressant, improves sleep, improves mood;
increases appetite.

Drinking liquor in small quantities strengthens the immune system and cleanses the body of harmful substances.

In cooking, anise drink is used both in its pure form and in its composition. In addition, it can be added to black coffee, mixed with mineral water, or served frozen. Sambuca goes well with milk, but in this case the liquids are drunk separately.

There are many ways to serve the drink. The most popular, spectacular and original is the option with ignition. Sambuca burns with a bright blue flame for 5-10 seconds. This property of the liquid is often used by bartenders: they let it burn completely, while constantly swirling the glass, after which the drink can be drunk.

Top brands

Among the most popular brands under which anise liqueur is produced, Italian ones predominate. There are also famous producers from other countries, whose drinks comply with accepted standards and regulations, have good taste characteristics and are in demand on the market.

The best brands include:

Sambuca Molinari Extra. The most popular Italian brand was awarded the distinction and status of a national alcoholic drink. It has a sweet taste and aroma of Italian herbs. Alcohol content 42%. The liquid is usually consumed chilled, served in a special glass for sambuca.
Sambuca Ramazotti. This brand produces black and white sambuca. The dark liqueur is made according to a traditional recipe, the white liqueur is made with the addition of vanilla and violet. ABV 38%.
Sambuca Luxardo. This manufacturer specializes in fruit sambuca, which contains various spices: cinnamon, chili pepper, anise. In addition, the company’s line includes a white type of drink.
Sambuca Di Amore. Thanks to the addition of lemon zest, the taste of this brand of sambuca is moderately sweet. Contains 42% alcohol.
Sambuca Antica. This brand produces many varieties of anise liqueur. The alcoholic products contain mango extract, rose, iris, coriander, apple and orange.
Sambuca Borghetti. Crystal clear drink with 38% ABV. Has an anise flavor and magnolia aroma.
Sambuca Vaccari. A Dutch brand that produces white and black types of the drink. The taste of this brand of sambuca is distinguished by notes of vanilla and licorice, and a long, soft aftertaste.

Other popular brands of anise liqueur: Sambuca Villa Viola, Sambuca Cesare, Sambuca Bianko Cellini, Sambuca Vecchia Sarandrea, Sambuca Stella d’Italia, etc.

How to drink correctly?

Many alcohol connoisseurs are interested in what to use sambuca with, how to drink this liqueur correctly and what is the best serving method to choose. An undiluted chilled drink can act as an aperitif before a meal or a digestif after a meal. The liquid should be served in elongated shot glasses or cognac glasses. Add coffee beans, water, ice, champagne to sambuca. These components will reveal the taste of the drink and give it a new aroma.

When wondering how to set fire to sambuca, remember that it is better to entrust this to professionals. There are several ways to ignite a drink:

In a glass container. The liquid should be poured into a shot glass or glass to the brim, carefully set on fire using a long match, allowed to burn out, extinguish the flame and drink in one gulp.
In 2 glasses. You need to pour alcohol into the first one, set it on fire and, rotating the glass, heat the drink. Then the liquid is poured into a second glass, the flame dies out, and the sambuca can be drunk.
Extreme option. In this case, the bartender sets fire to the anise liqueur in the client's mouth. This trick is best not done at home.

If you don’t know what to eat with sambuca, give preference to cheese and fruit slices, olives, meat and fish dishes, various sweet desserts, nuts, and ice cream.

Sambuca is rightfully considered the world leader among cocktail bar drinks. Thanks to its exquisite taste, unusual, slightly tart aroma and spectacular presentation, the “burning” liqueur is a hit at entertainment events. Not a single high-profile youth party is complete without sambuca. If you want to surprise your guests, it is important to study in advance all the intricacies of drinking the drink at home. Connoisseurs have developed several technologies that are considered basic. Let's look at each method in more detail.

What is "sambuca"

The original Italian alcoholic drink belongs to the liqueur category. In terms of taste, sambuca is slightly tart and at the same time sweet, but not cloying. The main components of the drink are considered to be granulated sugar (mainly cane sugar), wheat-based alcohol, elderberry (berries), aromatic medicinal herbs, and anise.

Classic sambuca has no color at all, it is completely transparent. However, over time, new shades have appeared, which are achieved by adding food coloring; there is nothing wrong with that.

As for the beneficial properties of an alcoholic drink, it improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and speeds up metabolism. Sambuca also prevents the formation of inflammatory processes in the bronchi, lungs and the body as a whole. It kills harmful bacteria and has excellent antiseptic properties.

In addition, during the cold and flu season, the “burning mixture” perfectly fights the first symptoms of the disease, eliminating them at the initial stage. Many people notice that drinking sambuca in small quantities (that’s how they drink it) increases vitality and overall performance.

How to drink sambuca correctly at home

As you can see, liqueur should be in the minibar of every self-respecting person. For this reason, you need to learn to drink it correctly.

Method number 1. "Two glasses"
The technology of drinking sambuca in this way is also called “Italian” or “With flies”, the essence of the process does not change. The technique consists of consuming coffee beans, which act as “flies”.

Required ingredients. To fully comply with the drinking culture, you will need to prepare 3 coffee beans in advance (roasting does not matter). It is this move that will allow you to drink sambuca “according to Feng Shui”; each grain carries happiness, wealth and health.

In addition, you will need paper napkins, cocktail straws with a corrugated bend, matches, and two glasses of cognac.

Preparation. The culture of drinking sambuca is not considered simple, but the excitement from the preparation compensates for the effort expended. Place coffee beans in a cognac glass and pour in 60 ml. sambuca. Take a paper napkin folded in the usual way (4 turns). Using a tube, make a hole in it exactly in the middle so that the bend (corrugation) is located exactly at the edges of the hole.

Technology. After completing the preparation, proceed to the main stage. Light a match, take the glass in your hand and tilt it slightly so that the surface of the liqueur is at an angle. Insert a lit match into the container, set it on fire, and rotate the container in your hands in a clockwise circle for about 4-5 seconds. The longer the composition is lit, the stronger the sambuca. For the first time, the specified time is quite enough.

Next, pour the burning sambuca into the second glass, cover it with the first one so that the combustion process ends due to lack of oxygen. You must cover one container with another, like connecting a plastic Kinder Surprise egg. Vapors will begin to accumulate in the top glass for later inhalation.

Place the napkin with the straw on a flat surface so that the long part is at the bottom and the short section with which you usually drink cocktails sticks out from the top. Remove the glass that acts as a lid and immediately place it on a napkin so that the steam does not have time to evaporate.

Drink the liqueur to the bottom, take the coffee beans into your mouth and hold them on the edge of your tongue. Next, inhale the sambuca vapor deeply, but take your time so as not to burn your throat. Start chewing the coffee beans and savor them. Repeat simple manipulations to achieve the desired effect. It is important to remember that sambuca acts on the brain after 40 minutes, so take your time so as not to get too drunk.

Important!
As mentioned earlier, the most common are cognac glasses called “snifter” or “rocks”. In cases where you do not have suitable vessels at hand, pour sambuca into a regular glass for juice, set it on fire, blow it out, cool a little and drink. Be sure to snack on coffee beans.

Method number 2. Sambuca with coffee
If the above recipe is rightfully considered a classic of the genre, then there is nothing special about using sambuca with coffee. Brew espresso using a coffee pot or coffee machine. Pour 55-65 ml into a glass. liqueur, add 25 ml. pre-prepared coffee, stir. Place 3 pinches of cane sugar on your tongue, drink the sambuca in one gulp, and dissolve the sweet crystals. You can use sugar cubes by cutting them into 4 equal parts and taking one. Europeans like to consume sambuca in a similar way during the lunch siesta, adding a spoonful of liqueur to their coffee.

Method number 3. Sambuca in a glass
It is generally accepted that in Russia they only drink vodka and strong liqueurs from glasses, but this misconception is erroneous. By holding massive youth parties, experienced bartenders came up with another hot way to drink. Unlike the first technology, this technique does not require physical effort and expensive utensils.

Take a 60 gram glass, place 3 coffee beans in it, pour in 50 ml. liqueur. Light a match and carefully bring it to the surface of the sambuca, wait for it to ignite. Count to five, put out the fire, wait a certain time for the sambuca to cool a little. After this period, drink the liqueur in one gulp and chew the coffee beans.

Important!
Don’t make the mistakes of experienced people who drink liquor while it’s still burning! This type of drinking is unsafe; you will not be able to avoid burns to the palate, tongue, and throat.

Pay special attention to the glass with which you will drink the drink. It must have thick walls and have excellent fire resistance, otherwise the cookware will burst.
The technology described above was developed specifically for the treatment of disease symptoms and diseases in general. Typically, flu, colds, runny nose, wet and dry cough are treated in this way. If you drink sambuca for this purpose, do not eat it with coffee beans.

Method number 3. Pure Sambuca
The option is not suitable for consumption at entertainment events, as an aperitif and “for relaxation”. Sambuca in its pure form is drunk exclusively on a full stomach; as a rule, it is served after dinner (at 8-9 pm). This technology is also called “gestive” or “dessert”.

The main distinguishing feature is that the liqueur is drunk cold. It is sometimes even placed in the freezer to achieve a better effect. Pour 60 ml into a glass or shot glass, drink in one gulp, snack on a slice of pomelo, grapefruit or orange.

Method number 4. Sambuca with mineral water
If you are going on a trip to the sea or planning a fiery pool party, this method is quite suitable. Place a bottle of sparkling mineral water in the freezer. Bring it to such a state that ice crystals form (holding time varies from 30 to 45 minutes, it all depends on the power of the device).

After the specified period, pour 45 ml into a tall glass. sambuca, add 90-135 ml. ice mineral water (proportions 1:2 or 1:3). The more water you add, the lower the strength of the liqueur. Don’t be surprised when the sambuca becomes slightly cloudy after combining all the ingredients. The thing is that it contains a sufficient amount of esters, which are practically insoluble in water.

Method No. 5. Sambuca burning in the mouth
This technology is considered to be one of the most original; it is suitable for lovers of strong cocktails and thrills. To make this method a reality, you will need an assistant.

To drink sambuca correctly using the “dry” method, put a little liquor in your mouth, do not swallow. Take a paper napkin or towel and wipe your lips, eliminating possible drops from the drink.

Sit on a chair with a back, relax, lift your chin down and lower your lower jaw, opening your mouth wide. Ask your assistant to light a match and bring it to your mouth, igniting the liquid. After 3 seconds of burning, you will feel a slight tingling sensation and the release of heat. It is at this moment that you need to close your mouth, return your head to a straight position, wait about 5 seconds and swallow the liquor.

Of course, this method is the most spectacular of all possible, but it is also extremely dangerous. If you have no experience drinking drinks this way, don't risk it. Entrust the procedure to bartenders or experienced “hot” lovers.

As can be seen from the above, drinking a burning drink does not involve any special difficulties. The culture of drinking with two cognac glasses, a straw and a napkin is considered a classic of the genre. At youth parties, the technology of drinking sambuca diluted with water is used. It all depends on personal preferences, experiment, vary the proportions, monitor your well-being.