Most Creative Sambuca Cocktails To Try

A family recipe straight up from the heart of Italy has made its place as one of the most well-known after-dinner drinks. We’re talking about the anise flavored elixir – sambuca, that punches its flavors right into your face, without literally harming it. Preparing sambuca cocktails is like child’s play, but mind you, only for adults! From laid back summer parties to wholesome family brunches, a sip of a sambuca cocktail is enough to take you on a joyride. Here are a few creative sambuca cocktails to try out, if you still haven’t tried them out already. 

Cocktail Recipes With Sambuca

1. Sambuca Mule
2. Sambuca Aviation Cocktail
3. Slippery Nipple
4. The Dude’s Delight
5. Sambuca Cherry Nipper
6. Anaïs Nin
7. Raspberry Basil Sambuca Martini

1. Sambuca Mule 

The Sambuca Mule is a playful take on the famous Russian Mule. You can either love ginger or despise it from the bottom of your heart. However, try out this cocktail and your take on ginger would definitely change for the better. The seemingly contrasting flavors of ginger and anise blend beautifully together to create a sweet concoction that’s best served chilled. Still unconvinced? Why not try it out yourself?

Ingredients

• 1½ oz of vodka
• ¾ oz of sambuca
• ¾ oz of lime juice
• Ginger beer (to top off)
• A wedge of lime for garnish

Instructions

1. In a copper mug, add sambuca, vodka and lime juice. 
2. Don’t forget to add ice. Stir well. 
3. Top it off with some ginger beer. 
4. Garnish with a fresh wedge of lime and your drink is ready! 

Also Read: Best Cocktails For Men To Order On A First Date

2. Sambuca Aviation

Tighten your seat belts and gear up to taste the sky, all in a cocktail. The traditional gin-based Aviation in this sambuca variation soars up a notch (get that pun?) in terms of flavor and visual appeal. How can someone not notice the distinct pale sky-blue color the crème de violette imparts to it? This eye-catching cocktail is both a treat to the eyes and taste buds – we can guarantee that! 

Ingredients

• 2 oz of London dry gin
• ¾ oz of lemon juice (better if freshly squeezed)
• ¼ oz of sambuca
• ¼ oz of maraschino liqueur 
• ¼ oz of crème de violette
• Cocktail cherry for garnish

Instructions

1. Set a martini glass to chill in the refrigerator.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add all the ingredients along with ice and shake well. 
3. Strain the drink into the chilled glass.
4. Garnish with a cocktail cherry and you have your sambuca Aviation cocktail ready.

3. Slippery Nipple

Yes, you read it right. Joining the list of provocatively named, scandalous sounding, whisper inducing cocktails is the famous (mostly for its sexually explicit name) Slippery Nipple. Ordering one in a bar jam-packed with people can surely make eyeballs roll – some might even think you had a slip of the tongue. Notice the visual appeal of the drink and one instantly understands why it was named so. However, a slip, err… sip of the drink is as equally rewarding as the fun you have saying it out loud. We recommend trying this one out as soon as possible! 

Ingredients 

• ⅔ oz of Irish cream liqueur (chilled)
• ⅔ oz of sambuca (chilled)
• Maraschino cherry (optional)

Instructions

1. Place a Maraschino cherry at the bottom of a shot glass (this is an optional step.) 
2. Now pour the sambuca into the shot glass. 
3. Be careful – pour the Irish cream liqueur over the sambuca using the back of a spoon to make a richly layered cocktail. 
4. Serve chilled and enjoy the rich flavor! 

Also Read: Fun Drinking Games For Couples

4. The Dude’s Delight 

This delightful drink combines chilled coffee and rich sambuca in a recipe that is guaranteed to tantalize your taste buds. The Dude’s Delight takes inspiration from the White Russian seen sipping by The Dude in the iconic The Big Lebowski. The intense flavors of sambuca and coffee come together to create a blend that is sure to wake you up from your deepest slumbers. 

Ingredients 

• 4 oz of milk
• 1 oz of vodka
• 1 oz of cold coffee
• 1 oz of coffee liqueur 
• ¼ oz of sambuca 
• Cocoa powder for garnish

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker except cocoa powder. 
2. Add ice into the shaker and shake it up (like Taylor Swift does.
3. Take an old-fashioned glass filled with ice and strain the cocktail into the glass. 
4. Garnish with cocoa dust and sip away. 

5. Sambuca Cherry Nipper

The Cherry Nipper is like the Pinteresty girl of cocktail drinks. This cocktail elegantly combines the sweet, subtle flavors of cherry with the intensely aromatic anise, without letting one overpower the other. Imagine sipping away at this delightful drink on a sultry summer afternoon. Seems like a perfect way to spend the weekend, isn’t it?

Ingredients 

• 4 oz of cherry lemonade 
• 1½ oz of sambuca
• 1 sprig of fresh lavender 

Instructions

1. Take an old-fashioned glass and place some ice cubes into it. 
2. Pour in the cherry lemonade. 
3. Gently pour sambuca and stir well. 
4. Garnish with lavender and serve chilled! 

Also Read: Best Sundowner Cocktails For This Summer

6. Anaïs Nin

Did someone say dairy and alcohol don’t work together? Mind you, opposites attract – ask the Anaïs Nin. Pair the right amount of Sambuca with creme de banane liqueur and coffee. Then, top it up with a generous dollop of whipped cream and get the party going. “But we don’t have godly immunity against sugar.” Worry not! The right proportions of Sambuca would surely prevent it from becoming cloyingly sweet. 

Ingredients 

• 3 to 4 oz of coffee (either iced or hot coffee would work)
• 1 oz of crème de banane liqueur
• 1 oz of sambuca
• 1 oz of half-and-half (A mixture of equal parts whole milk and cream)
• Whipped cream for garnish
• Drizzle of sambuca for garnish

Instructions

1. Add creme de banane liqueur, sambuca and half-and-half into a cocktail shaker. 
2. Fill it with ice and shake until well-chilled.
3. Take a pint glass and place ice cubes in it. 
4. Strain the contents of the shaker into the glass.
5. Top it up with the coffee. 
6. Add a generous amount of whipped cream and drizzle some sambuca. We’re now ready to serve! 

7. Raspberry Basil Sambuca Martini

She’s the summer girl, no doubt about that. Sipping this Martini as you watch the sunset or play ‘Confessions Over Martini’ is ideally the perfect summer plan if you ask us. The refreshing basil is an ingredient that adds just the right amount of freshness. Pair it up with juicy raspberries, and you have a smart excuse to unwind from a long day at work. The cocktail beautifully pours in hues of the crimson sunset in a Martini glass. 

Ingredients

• 10 basil leaves
• 4 raspberries 
• ¾ oz of sambuca
• ¾ oz of London dry gin
• ¾ oz of freshly squeezed lime juice
• ¾ oz of freshly squeezed orange juice
• Mint sprig for garnish
• Raspberry for garnish

Instructions

1. Muddle raspberries and mint leaves into a cocktail shaker.
2. Add all ingredients along with ice. 
3. Shake well so that it is chilled.
4. Strain the drink into a pre-chilled martini glass.
5. Garnish with a sprig of mint and raspberry, and voila! Unlike people, this Raspberry Basil Sambuca Martini won’t disappoint. 

Also Read: Celebrate Pride Month With These Colorful Cocktails

Summing up

Sambuca is inarguably one of the most versatile drinks that can elevate your Sunday cocktails into refreshing concoctions, worth every sip. They are creatively crafted yet easy to make. You too can get your hands on making a sambuca cocktail for yourself, and we bet the results won’t disappoint! 

FAQs 

How Is Sambuca Best Served?

Sambuca can be served neat or with water, and also pairs well with any number of spirits. 

Is Sambuca Good For Your Stomach?

Sambuca is a liqueur containing anise extracts. Anise helps with digestion and cures a sore tummy, ultimately being good for your stomach.  

Can You Drink Sambuca On Ice?

Sambuca has been traditionally served neat or with crushed ice or even with a dash of water. 

Is Sambuca High In Alcohol?

Sambuca is bottled at a minimum 38% alcohol volume. The essential oils derived from anise are added to pure alcohol, a concentrated solution of sugar, and other flavors.

Is Sambuca Stronger Than Vodka?

Sambuca is considered more potent than most liqueurs, however, less potent than vodka. 

Which Is Better, Black Or White Sambuca?

While white sambuca is comparatively subtle with its notes of anise, black sambuca has a more intense, robust flavor of anise and licorice. 

Why Is Sambuca Called Sambuca?

The name ‘sambuca’, an Italian liqueur, is derived from the Latin word “sambucus”, which means ‘elderberry’.