Sambuca is an Italian national drink, which is a colorless (most often) aniseed liquor. The most common species is often called white sambuca to distinguish it from other varieties - bright blue or red.
Sambuca is made with the addition of essential oils derived from anise, star anise, licorice and other spices. These oils are added in pure form along with concentrated sugar solution and other flavoring agents. The standard strength of this drink is 42% alcohol.
History
Speaking of what sambuca is, many cannot unambiguously trace the history of its occurrence. One version says that this name comes from the Arabic word "Zammut". This was the name of the drink with aniseed taste, which was delivered to the ports of Italy on ships coming from the East. In turn, the Oxford English Dictionary states that the term comes from the Latin designation of the word "elderberry". Also, according to historical information, in Greece sambuca was called elderberry liquor, which was made about 130 years ago.
Continuing the historical background of what sambuca is, it is worth noting that the first commercial version of this drink began to be produced at the end of 1800 in the city of Civitavecchia. In 1945, shortly after the end of World War II, entrepreneur Angelo Molinari began producing Sambuca Extra Molinari, which helped to popularize this drink throughout Italy.
How to drink?
An alcoholic sambuca drink is usually served in an aesthetic form. It can also be served with ice or diluted water, resulting in an interesting visual effect. A widespread type of serving is con mosca, in which three coffee beans are thrown into a glass into which a sambuca is poured (photo - a drink with coffee beans is presented below).
The liquor presented in this way symbolizes the wish for prosperity, health and happiness, or the Holy Trinity (according to Italian tradition). In addition, sambuca is traditionally added to coffee - both for flavor and instead of sugar. It is also used in its pure form - with small glasses as an aperitif.
In addition, mentioning what sambuca is, many immediately recall club alcoholic cocktails with fire. This is also a common way to drink this drink - the liquor is set on fire for a short time, then the flame should be extinguished and the liquid quickly drunk. Last minute cocktails are also made from several types of alcohol of different strengths, poured in a glass in layers. In this case, the sambuca will be below, as a thicker and heavier drink.
A more original way of drinking sambuca is also common. First, the liquor is poured into a glass and ignited, and then quickly poured into another container. The first glass should be turned over and placed on a saucer. Then, after eating warm sambuca, you should stick a tube in a napkin between the saucer and the first glass and inhale the accumulated air. When cold, the liquor goes well with milk, but not in the form of a cocktail, but separately - a sip of alcohol, and then a sip of milk.
Summing up and trying to fully answer the question "what is sambuca", it can be argued that this is aniseed strong liquor of Italian origin, which can be drunk in various ways.