How to Make Coffee Sambuca

Italian coffee sambuca is delicious and incredibly easy to make. All you do is pour an ounce or two of the anise-flavored Italian liqueur sambuca into a glass and float three coffee beans on top—never an even number of beans as it is considered bad luck—and sip it slowly as an aperitif or digestif.

The strong anise flavor of sambuca pairs beautifully with the earthy notes of the coffee, and it's a delicious beverage to sip slowly after a hearty meal, on its own or with dessert like tiramisu. Although it's very popular in southern Italy, the eastern region of Le Marche is where you'd find this drink most often.

What Is Sambuca?

Sambuca is a traditional Italian liqueur predominantly flavored with anise or aniseed, along with other herbs and spices. Sambuca comes in three colors: white (clear), red, and black (more of a deep purple or blue).

Sambuca can be drunk straight, like in this recipe, either at room temperature or slightly chilled. It is also commonly used in a variety of cocktails and shooters, like the B-53. If you come across a cocktail recipe that simply states "anise liqueur," sambuca is one of your best options to use.

Sambuca Brands

Each brand of sambuca has its own (often secret) recipe. and while all sambucas have the same general flavor profile, there are subtle differences. Popular brands include Molinari, Romano, Luxardo, Galliano, Sambuca di Amore, Opal Nera, and Zambello.

What Do the 3 Coffee Beans in the Sambuca Symbolize?

Coffee sambuca is also known in Italian as ghiaccio e mosche, which translates to "ice and flies"—where the "flies" obviously refer to the floating coffee beans. The three coffee beans symbolize health, happiness, and prosperity.

Coffee and Liqueur: A Wonderful Pair

The combination of coffee and liquor is very common in many Mediterranean and Latin traditions. Alcoholic beverages like ouzo, brandy, Kahlúa, or Tía María are added to espresso coffees to enjoy as a post-meal or mid-afternoon pause. The difference between most other popular coffee and liqueur drinks is that in coffee sambuca, coffee is a light flavoring to the otherwise generous shot of sambuca. But in traditional caffè corretti—as caffeinated alcoholic drinks are known in Italy—just a splash of brandy, grappa, or sambuca is added to an espresso or double espresso. In either case, coffee and liqueur is a combination you'll likely enjoy.

Should You Eat the Coffee Beans in Sambuca?

The flavor of the roasted coffee beans complements the anise notes in sambuca, and you can absolutely eat them. But whether to eat the coffee beans in sambuca is entirely up to you—so feel free to skip them if you prefer.

How to Make a Flaming Coffee Sambuca

Some drinkers like to light the beverage on fire, known as flaming coffee sambuca, because it lightly toasts the beans. To make a flaming coffee sambuca, after pouring the liqueur and adding the beans, simply use a match to light the drink on fire. If it doesn't burn out on its own in a few seconds, blow it out before the drink gets too hot. And if you do choose to flame this drink, take caution as a fire fueled by alcohol can burn tablecloths, napkins, hair, and clothing.