How to drink sambuca at home: tips. Sambuca is a famous Italian liqueur.

Sambuca is strong alcohol (38-42 %). Many believe that this is a special kind of vodka. But it's not. Sambuca belongs to liqueurs, its homeland is Italy. This drink has light color, often it is even transparent, its taste is sweetish. There are also dark and red varieties of sambuca.

You can use liquor in different ways. For example, some ways are provided for drinking at home, more extreme ones are suitable for nightclubs, etc.

Sambuca refers to the "author's" drink, do not confuse it with folk booze. Therefore, this alcohol has its own recipe, which is kept secret. But some secrets of its preparation are still known, for example, that several different herbs are taken as the basis, and, first of all, anise. These herbs are infused with alcohol, and then the tincture is distilled three times.

After that, water (key) and sugar syrup, various flavors and some additional ingredients which are not disclosed by the manufacturer. After that, the tincture is aged for several weeks, filtered and bottled.

Here are some of the most popular sambuka manufacturers:

1. Pallini.
2. Luxardo.
3. Casoni.
4. Barbero.

Once the drink could be tasted only in Italy, it was not exported. Now the situation has changed, and sambuca can be tasted in many countries. This bitter sugar infusion can be consumed both undiluted and added to various cocktails.

Reference. Sambuca has beneficial properties: stimulates digestive process, improves appetite, fights coughs and colds, eliminates inflammation and simply improves mood.

Main characteristics

The name itself comes from the Latin name for the elderberry, which is included in the list of ingredients - "sambucus". Liquor base - wheat alcohol of the highest quality, fortress ready drink depends on the proportions in which it was diluted with water by the manufacturer. The aroma of the drink is pronounced, the main note in it, of course, is anise. But people with a subtle flair (or a rich imagination) are able to catch a hint of elderberry.

The calorie content of the liquor is slightly lower than that of other drinks from the same niche. It is rather equivalent to vodka and is about 230 kcl / 100 ml. Not too little either. At home open bottle should not be stored for more than 4-5 months. Sambuca is saturated with essential oils, which evaporate when the seal is broken. And with it, the aroma of the drink, its rich aftertaste, goes into the air. Keep the uncorked container, preferably in the cold and dark, so that the oils do not go rancid.

How to drink?

They drink sambuca in different ways, much depends on the desire of the person himself. If you are extreme, you can even set it on fire in your mouth. Traditionally, sambuca is drunk with ice cubes added to it; it is also permissible to dilute the drink with water.

There are other ways to consider as well.

In its purest form

So you can drink sambuca before starting a meal. The drink improves appetite, but it should be noted that the strength of alcohol is quite high, so intoxication occurs quite quickly. For an appetite, you need to consume only 50 ml of sambuca before you sit down at the table. Best served chilled, optionally topped with lemon or lime.

Also, this method of drinking will be appropriate after a meal or as a dessert. Not everyone can drink alcohol of such strength undiluted. Therefore, drinking undiluted liquor is an amateur, because the taste of anise and the aroma of various spices, combined with strong degree not everyone may like it.

With coffee beans

Often they drink liquor in this way in his homeland, in Italy. Coffee beans are usually added to the drink in the amount of three pieces. The Italians say that they personify the 3 most necessary benefits for a person - health, wealth and happiness.

This is a kind of snack for alcohol. But you don’t need to roast coffee beans much, they will spoil the aftertaste of drunk sambuca with burnt bitterness.

With water or ice

Since this drink has a high strength, it is often consumed by adding pieces of ice to a glass or simply pouring water into it. At the same time, liquor is able to quench thirst, especially if ice is added to it. Water perfectly reveals the taste of sambuca.

Do not be alarmed if the color of the drink becomes cloudy after mixing water and liquor, this is quite normal. This process is associated with essential oils contained in sambuca. There are no specific limits for adding ice or water to a glass, it is all done at your discretion.

With milk or coffee

Some gourmets prefer to drink this liqueur with chilled milk. It is believed that this conveys the wonderful taste properties of the drink.

Others add a little sambuca to coffee (by the way, like other Italian spirits), thereby getting the new kind drink called coretto.

Ignition

The Italians themselves do not accept this way of drinking sambuca. But this option is often used in nightclubs. For a special effect, the liquor is set on fire; due to the saturation with essential oils, the drink quickly ignites. Hot sambuca, by the way, can therapeutic effect with a sore throat.

Here is one of the most common ways to set fire to sambuca:

1. Most often this method is used in bars. But at home, too, you can experiment.
2. To carry out the ignition process, you will need: a glass - 2 pcs, cocktail tubes, 3 coffee beans, matches, a small saucer and a napkin.
3. Pour 50 ml of liquor into a glass, then put coffee beans there.
4. A napkin with a tube passed through it is placed on a saucer.
5. Light up the liquor. Let it burn for about 30 seconds to heat up.
6. Then it is necessary to pour the drink into another glass as soon as possible, and overturn the empty one on a napkin.
7. Through the tube you need to inhale the aroma of liqueur with coffee, the second glass is drunk in one gulp.
8. Then the coffee is chewed, so the taste of sambuca is even more emphasized.

This method is also called "liquor with flies", due to coffee beans, which in their appearance resemble flies.

Important! Do not forget about fire safety measures when using sambuca in this way.

extreme ignition

First, you should wipe your lips dry, then the liquor is set on fire right in your mouth. This is usually done by a bartender in a nightclub. When you feel that it is hot, you should immediately close your mouth and drink sambuca.

There is a slight risk of burns. Everyone decides for himself whether he should experiment like that

With mineral water

This method will great option to quench thirst in the heat.

The proportions for combining sambuca with cold mineral water are as follows: 1 part liqueur and 2-3 parts mineral water.

The most exotic way

This method of drinking is used extremely rarely, but there are also its lovers who drink sambuca in this way. Water is poured into the kettle, boiled and drained. After that, 50 ml of sambuca is poured into the same teapot, everything is shaken and drunk.

This method of taking liquor is also called the home method. Another small nuance - before drinking liquor from the kettle, you need to inhale the aroma of the drink through its spout.

Cocktails with sambuca

How to drink sambuca pure form or as part of cocktails a matter of taste and circumstance. A stack of drink will warm you well after a walk in the cold. Will become great addition to coffee. In the company, or wanting to spend a cozy romantic evening with a drink, you should choose the cocktail option. So drunkenness will come later. In addition, the composition of mixes with her participation is so wide that you can almost endlessly enjoy new flavors based on your favorite liquor.

slippery nipples

The name may attract attention or cause some squeamishness. In any case, few will remain indifferent. The cocktail tastes good.

Ingredients:

• Grenadine (thick fruit syrup with sweet and sour taste) - 3-4 drops;
• Baileys liqueur - 30 ml;
• Sambuca - 30 ml.

Layers of liqueurs are poured into a stack using a bar spoon, sambuca at the bottom. Grenadine is dripped from above in such a way that dense drops break through the upper layer and sink to the bottom. The approximate strength of such a shot will be 28-30 °.

Sambuca peach

A great cocktail for a summer evening and a hot party. Intoxicating and refreshing at the same time.

Ingredients:

• twig peppermint- 2 pcs;
• lime wedge;
• Sambuca - 40 ml;
• Peach liqueur - 30 ml;
• Ice cubes.

A cocktail is being prepared in a tall, even glass (tumbler). It is necessary to crush the lime and 1 sprig of mint, throw them to the bottom. Pour the glass almost to the top with ice, then add both alcohol components. For a more gentle (ladies') version, peach nectar is used instead of fruit liqueur.

Mojito from sambuca

At home, you can prepare a variation of this well-known and beloved by many cocktails. As a standard, a highball (low wide glass) is selected as a container, but you can also take a toggle switch.

Ingredients:

• Lime - 2 slices;
• Ice cubes;
• Peppermint - 2 sprigs;
• Soda - 150 ml;
• Sambuca - 35 ml.

Citrus and mint are crushed, put on the bottom. The glass is filled with ice, soda and liquor are poured into it, mixed.

What do they drink sambuca-based cocktails with? Most often with nothing, but if you really want to chew something under them, they will do:

• Slices of chocolate;
• Pieces of fruit: apples, kiwi, pears, orange, nectarine.
• Coffee desserts: mousse, puddings.
• Cheese, seafood.

Video: 5 ways to drink liquor at home

Watch the video, which tells about five ways to drink sambuca at home correctly: in its pure form, diluted with water set on fire with coffee beans, with milk and with Americano or espresso coffee:

Proper serving and glasses for sambuca

How to properly serve sambuca:

1. Izlikera prepare various cocktails. Since the drink is quite dense, it can be used as a base for shots. Cream, ice cream or fruit extracts are added to all cocktails along with sambuca.
2. Sambuca sets include various spices. Each person can combine them to their liking. Or you can buy ready-made liquor with added seasonings in specialized stores.
3. There are also special glasses for sambuca. They resemble an ordinary stack, but with a slightly elongated neck. But if there are no such glasses, it's okay. Quite often, the drink is served in cognac containers, which is not a mistake.

What to drink with?

In order not to get drunk from sambuca, you need to have a good bite.

There are several ways:

1. Oddly enough, but classic snack this liqueur is considered coffee. For example, plant seeds are used, or they drink liquor with a cup of espresso.
2. The second most important snack in Italy is cheese. It goes well with alcohol.
3. You can eat fish and meat dishes. If you seize a drink in this way and at the same time use liquor moderately, then a person will not get drunk.
4. Olives go well with any liqueur, which means they are also suitable for sambuca.
5. Italians, and especially Italians, prefer to snack on a drink with various sweets. They are chosen according to taste, but it will be ideal if various nuts are included in these sweets - almonds, peanuts or hazelnuts.
6. Despite the fact that sambuca is compared to vodka, it is actually a liquor, and therefore it is customary to seize it with sandwiches, for example, with caviar, seafood tartlets, etc.
7. Many do not seize or drink sambuca, as another product will interrupt the aftertaste of liquor. But then it is better to eat well beforehand.

Since sambuca is a strong alcoholic drink, you can’t do without a snack. Otherwise, the person will get very drunk and lose control of himself. If he is full at the time of taking the liquor, then intoxication will be easy. The drink practically does not cause consequences in the form of a severe hangover. But it lifts the mood.

Signs of a quality drink

Before drinking sambuca, you need to choose a real high-quality liquor. Only in this case it will be possible to get from him the whole bouquet of aromas and taste, to prepare worthy cocktails. This question is acute if the tasting is to be done at home. Bars and restaurants with a good reputation value their image and customers, they buy products from trusted suppliers, the chance of running into a surrogate in such establishments tends to be zero.

Having bought a bottle of liquor, you should first evaluate it according to several parameters:

• Smell. With distinct aromas of anise and lemon.
• Taste. The lightest sweetness without cloying. No hint of alcohol.
• Aftertaste. Bright, long in time, slowly losing saturation.
• Consistency. Medium, not as liquid as water, but not glycerin viscosity.
• Action. In small doses, sambuca tones, gives a charge of strength and vigor.

Liquor of any color should not have flakes, sediment at the bottom. Its liquid is clear and transparent.

Today, absolutely all companies producing this drink pour it into a container of thick, transparent glass. A colored bottle may signal a fake. You should carefully read the name, if the spelling is different from “Sambuсa”, but it sounds similar, for example, the letter “c” is replaced by “k”, then it is better to leave the product on the supermarket shelf.

Another hint at "handicraft" production is the lack of Russian-language information on the labels about the composition of the product, its manufacturer and importer. As well as the casual look of the stickers themselves. Crooked layout, glue streaks, paint remaining on the fingers. To finally make sure that the choice is correct, it is worth shaking the bottle. A large number of tending upwards, small air bubbles - a sign of a fake. In real sambuca, due to the high sugar content, such a reaction cannot be achieved.

It must be said that sambuca refers to noble drinks, If you learn how to properly prepare cocktails based on sambuca, then the guests will be delighted with the drink and will appreciate your talent and great taste Italian liqueur.

There are a lot of ways to use the currently fashionable sambuca liquor. Most often, preference is given to the following of them.

The way to drink as is. Despite the fact that this liqueur sunny Italy quite sweet, many prefer to drink it undiluted in its natural state. In such cases, it plays the role of a kind of digestif. So knowledgeable people call drinks that are usually served at the end of a meal.

A little trick for this method. Refrigerate the sambuca well before drinking so that its cloying sweetness does not spoil the flavor bouquet. Before serving, the liquor should spend at least half an hour in the freezer.

Method "c" (Italian) - "flies" in a glass will be three grains of coffee. Initially, they represented happiness, wealth and health, but some people forget about this and perceive them as the "zest" of the drink to create a contrast.

In order to please yourself with sambuca in the Italian version, take a liquor, a couple of glasses, a saucer, 3 coffee beans, cocktail tubes, napkins and a lighter (matches).

Throw coffee beans into the first glass, pour 50 to 70 milliliters of sambuca. Put a napkin on the saucer, make a hole for the tube in its center (and insert it with the short end).

The culmination of the preparation process is to set fire to the sambuca. The high strength of the liquor makes this process simple and very effective. Watch for 5 seconds of blue flame dancing over the glass, then abruptly pour the liquor into the second glass, and cover it with the freed one. The flame will go out after a few seconds, and vapors will collect in the top glass. They should be inhaled through a tube. Carefully set this glass aside and place on a saucer with a straw.

But do not forget about safety precautions, be careful and do not raise your glass too high.

Use the liquor in the following order:

Drink liquid from a glass;
- keep coffee beans in your mouth;
- inhale the vapors several times;
- chew grains.

The "burning stack" method. It is this option that Russians are especially fond of. Ignite the liquor and after 3-5 seconds extinguish the flame with a sharp exhalation. Then warm drink drink in one gulp, like vodka or alcohol.

Diluted sambuca is great for drinking in summer heat. For cooking, cold mineral water is enough. Certain proportions in this case are not established. It all depends on how strong liquors you like.

The extreme way suits the most daring alcohol lovers. Type the liquor in your mouth, but do not rush to swallow the drink. Then carefully wipe your lips, tilt your head back and open your mouth. Ask someone or bring a burning match yourself, and when you feel heat in your mouth, close your lips and swallow the warm liquid.

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

What is "sambuca"

The original Italian alcoholic drink belongs to liqueurs. By palatability sambuca is a bit tart and sweet at the same time, but not cloying. The main components of the drink are considered to be granulated sugar (mainly cane), wheat-based alcohol, elderberry (berries), aromatic healing herbs, anise.

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

Concerning useful properties alcoholic drink, it improves the functioning of the digestive 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 on initial stage. Many people notice that the use of sambuca in small quantities (that's how they drink it) increases vitality and overall performance.

How to drink sambuca at home

As you can see, liquor should be in the mini-bar of every self-respecting person. For this reason, you need to learn how 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 from this. The methodology is to use coffee beans, which perform the role of those same "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 tubes with a corrugated bend, matches, two glasses for cognac.

Training. The culture of drinking sambuca is not considered simple, but the excitement from the preparation compensates for the expended effort. Place coffee beans in a cognac glass, pour in 60 ml. sambuca. Take a folded paper napkin in the usual way(in 4 turns). Using a tube, make a hole in it exactly in the middle so that the bend (corrugation) is 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 liquor is at an angle. Insert a lit match into the container, set it on fire, twist the vessel 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 enough.

Next, pour the burning sambuca into the second glass, cover it with the first one on top so that the combustion process ends due to lack of oxygen. You have to cover one container with another like putting together a plastic egg from Kinder Surprise. Vapors will begin to accumulate in the upper glass for their subsequent inhalation.

Lay a napkin with a straw on a flat surface so that the long part is at the bottom, and the short section sticks out on top, with which cocktails are usually drunk. Remove the glass that acts as a lid and immediately place it on a napkin so that the steam does not have time to escape.

Drink the liquor to the bottom, take coffee beans in your mouth and hold them on the edge of your tongue. Next, inhale deeply the vapors of sambuca, but do not rush, so as not to burn your throat. Start chewing coffee beans, 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 very drunk.

Important!
As mentioned earlier, cognac glasses called "snifter" or "rocks" are considered the most common. In cases where you do not have suitable vessels at hand, pour sambuca into an ordinary glass for juice, set it on fire, blow it out, cool a little and drink it. 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 with a cezve or coffee machine. Pour into a glass 55-65 ml. liqueur, add 25 ml. pre-brewed coffee, stir. Put 3 pinches on your tongue cane sugar, drink sambuca in one gulp, dissolve 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 their lunch siesta, adding a spoonful of liquor to their coffee.

Method number 3. Sambuca in a glass
It is generally accepted that in Russia only vodka and strong liqueurs are drunk from glasses, but this misconception is erroneous. By holding mass youth parties, experienced bartenders have come up with another burning way to drink. Unlike the first technology, this technique does not require physical costs and expensive dishes.

Take a 60-gram glass, place 3 coffee beans in it, pour in 50 ml. liquor. Light a match and gently 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 down a bit. After this period, drink the liquor in one gulp, chew the coffee beans.

Important!
Do not make the mistakes of experienced people who consume liquor while it is still burning! This option of drinking is unsafe, you will not be able to avoid burns to the palate, tongue, throat.

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

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

Home distinctive feature is that the liquor is drunk cold. It is sometimes even placed in the freezer for the best effect. Pour 60 ml into a glass or shot glass, drink in one gulp, have 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 an incendiary pool party, this way quite suitable. Place in freezer bottle of carbonated mineral water. Bring it to such a state that ice crystals form (the exposure time varies from 30 to 45 minutes, it all depends on the power of the device).

After the specified period, pour into tumbler 45 ml. 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 liquor will be. Do not be surprised when, after combining all the ingredients, the sambuca becomes slightly cloudy. The thing is that it contains a sufficient amount of esters, which practically do not dissolve in water.

Method number 5. Burning in the mouth sambuca
This technology is considered to be one of the most original, it is suitable for lovers of strong cocktails and thrills. To translate the method into reality, you need an assistant.

To properly drink sambuca using the “dry” method, take a little liquor into your mouth, do not swallow it. Take a paper napkin or towel, wipe your lips, excluding 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 the assistant to light a match and bring it to the mouth, igniting the liquid. After 3 seconds of burning, you will feel a slight tingling and heat release. 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, the method is the most spectacular of all possible, but it is also extremely dangerous. If you're not experienced with drinking drinks this way, don't risk it. Entrust the procedure to bartenders or seasoned lovers of "hot".

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

Video: how to drink sambuca

Sambuca is an alcoholic drink served as a dajestif, that is, a drink served after a meal and intended to help in the digestion of food. Drinking sambuca before meals can completely ruin your appetite and distort the taste of the food you eat. In order for sambuca, like all alcoholic beverages, to apply less harm health, before eating it is best to eat. And in order for the drink to bring real pleasure, you need to know what to drink sambuca with.
Sambuca is an aniseed liqueur Italian roots. The recipe of the drink includes anise extract, elderberry and other secret ingredients. This drink will be appropriate at a party of lovers Italian cuisine. In addition, a duet of sambuca and traditional dishes Japanese cuisine(sushi, roll).

For all liqueurs, the appetizer is selected according to their special taste and the components from which it was made. Classic variant serving sambuca - with a few grains of coffee, with which it is subsequently eaten to emphasize and enhance its special taste. To reduce the sugariness of the drink, add to it a small amount of water or put a few ice cubes in a glass. Sambuca goes well with espresso coffee. This liqueur is added not only to coffee, but also to tea.

A suitable snack for sambuca can be cheeses, a variety of fairly light cold fish and meat snacks. Olives, feta cheese will be a good snack. A slightly salty snack softens the sugary sweetness of the liquor.

Sambuca, like most liqueurs, goes well with marmalade, desserts, pastries, cakes. Especially good are those desserts in which almonds, peanuts, and other nuts are present. It would also be appropriate to serve ice cream and fruits such as lemons and oranges, apples and grapes with sambuca.

Sambuca is often used as a component of various alcoholic cocktails. For example, interesting cocktail prepared in a tall straight glass, into which alcoholic beverages are poured in layers in the order corresponding to the increase in their strength. It can be a fairly light liquor, dry champagne, sambuca, a little vodka and absinthe. Ready puff cocktail set on fire and drink through a thin straw. This cocktail can be served with lemon juice, which is washed down with a cocktail.

You can also drink sambuca with cool milk, but these drinks are not mixed, but sambuca is washed down with milk. It can be supplied with water or ice. Like all liqueurs, sambuca goes well with whiskey and brandy, vodka and cognac, gin and wines. Good combination in cocktails it is obtained from sambuca and hot chocolate, cream, ice cream, orange, lemon juice. Sambuca gives cocktails a noble bitter astringency.

Some gourmets who like a fairly strong taste of liquor drink pure sambuca. In order not to burn your face, you should not experiment and try to drink burning sambuca. As you know, alcohol is not harmless to our health. But in limited quantities, sometimes, you can be allowed to drink a little of such an unusual drink as sambuca liquor.