Sambuca Recipe

Prepare botanicals

Lightly crush the anise seeds (and fennel/green anise if using) with a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a knife to bruise them and release oils. If using star anise pods, break them in half. Zest a thin strip of lemon peel, avoiding white pith.

Infuse spirit

Place the crushed anise seeds, star anise, fennel (if using), dried elderflower (if using) and lemon peel into a clean, airtight glass jar. Pour 500 ml of neutral grain spirit (or high-proof vodka) over the botanicals, ensuring they are fully submerged. Seal the jar tightly.

Steep

Let the mixture steep in a cool, dark place for 7–10 days. Shake the jar gently once a day to help extraction. Taste after day 5 — it should smell strongly of anise; longer steeping will increase intensity.

Make sugar syrup

Toward the end of the steeping period, combine 300 g sugar and 300 ml water in a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. Bring to a low simmer for 1–2 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Strain and sweeten

After steeping, strain the infused spirit through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean container to remove solids. Discard solids. Add the cooled sugar syrup to the infused spirit. Stir or gently shake to combine. At this point the liqueur should be clear to slightly cloudy (the classic 'louche' or 'oil-out' effect appears when water is added or when served with ice).

Adjust and rest

Taste the Sambuca. If it's too strong, dilute with a little filtered water (add 10–30 ml at a time) until it reaches your desired balance. Typical commercial Sambuca is around 38–42% ABV; if you started with 95% spirit, you will have diluted down considerably with syrup — estimate final strength if desired. Once adjusted, transfer to a clean glass bottle, cap tightly, and rest for 1–2 weeks to allow flavours to marry and any haze to settle.

Serve

Serve neat in a small chilled shot glass. Optionally present with 2–3 whole green coffee beans in the glass (con la mosca) or float a coffee bean on top. Sambuca can also be served on the rocks, with a splash of cold water (which will louche it to a milky white), or used in cocktails and coffee.

Storage

Store the bottled Sambuca in a cool, dark place. It keeps indefinitely due to the high alcohol and sugar content; for best aroma, consume within 1–2 years.