From silky Italian classics to jaw-dropping party showstoppers, these sambuca cocktails are about to become your new obsession.
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There is something undeniably romantic about a bottle of sambuca. That glossy, crystal-clear liqueur resting on the back of a bar shelf, its sweet anise fragrance drifting through the air, carries with it centuries of Italian charm, glamour, and la dolce vita energy. If you have only ever seen sambuca flamed in a shot glass or poured over espresso, you are truly only scratching the surface of what this remarkable Italian spirit can do.
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Whether you are planning a girls’ night in, hosting a dinner party, or simply treating yourself to something gorgeous after a long week, sambuca cocktails deserve a permanent spot in your repertoire. They are elegant without being complicated, bold without being harsh, and endlessly customizable for every mood and season.
This guide covers everything you need to know, from the fascinating history of this iconic liqueur to 18 must-try sambuca cocktails complete with step-by-step recipes. Read on and let Italy’s most seductive spirit sweep you off your feet.
The Fascinating Story Behind the Bottle
A Liqueur Born in a Small Italian Port Town
Sambuca, the iconic anise-flavored liqueur, traces its roots back to Italy in the mid-19th century. The small, picturesque town of Civitavecchia, located near Rome, is credited as the birthplace of this distinctive spirit. Commercial production of sambuca dates to 1851, when Luigi Manzi (1809–1873) from the Neapolitan isle of Ischia started producing the liqueur around the port of Civitavecchia near Rome.
The very name “sambuca” carries layers of history. The name Sambuca may derive from sambuchelli, young boys that used to sell water mixed with green aniseed on Ischia. This concoction is still popular in Palermo, where it is called zammù, a term derived from the Arab zammut, a drink that arrived in Italy from the Middle East. However, the Oxford English Dictionary maintains that the term is derived instead from the Latin word sambucus, meaning “elderberry.”
What began as a small-batch digestif in a seaside port town would go on to conquer the world. Sambuca was marketed at the end of the 19th century in Civitavecchia, a town north of Rome, but only became an international product after the Second World War.
The Golden Age of Sambuca and La Dolce Vita
The story of modern sambuca is inseparable from the story of the Molinari family. A drink consumed with coffee beans in it quickly became emblematic of a worldly era filled with glamour and an inspiration for Federico Fellini’s masterpiece La Dolce Vita. Many celebrities, both actors and sports stars, provided endorsements for Molinari’s advertising campaigns. Even Frank Sinatra, a great admirer of Sambuca Molinari, was such a fan that he wrote a letter praising it to the Molinari family.
By the 1980s, sambuca had truly gone global. In the 1980s and 1990s, Molinari’s marketing produced the slogans: “If you go around the world, Molinari is there” and “It has only one fault, it isn’t foreign.” From cinema icons to international cocktail bars, sambuca had cemented itself as a symbol of Italian sophistication.
Fun Facts You Did Not Know About Sambuca
- The three coffee beans ritual: The traditional serving of sambuca is with three coffee beans, each representing health, happiness, and prosperity. The shot may be ignited to toast the coffee beans, with the flame extinguished immediately before drinking.
- Seven hills, seven beans: A serving of sambuca can also be presented as a shot with seven coffee beans, representing the seven hills of Rome.
- Even numbers are bad luck: It is considered bad luck to float an even number of coffee beans in your sambuca. Always use one, three, or seven.
- Sambuca is an “odd number” spirit by tradition. No even beans, ever!
- ABV: Sambuca typically sits at around 38–42% alcohol by volume, making it stronger than most wines but more approachable than straight whiskey.
- The “ouzo effect”: Sambuca may be served on the rocks or with water, resulting in the ouzo effect from the anethole in the anise — that beautiful, milky cloudiness that appears when water meets anise spirits.
- In Rome it is still typical to eschew sugar in one’s espresso in favor of a splash of the anise-flavored liqueur.
- Black sambuca is not actually black. Black sambuca is rarely totally black. In fact, it tends to have hues of dark blue or violet, which resembles ink.
What Does Sambuca Actually Taste Like?
Before we dive into recipes, let’s talk flavor. Sambuca is a sweet and aromatic Italian liqueur, made from a blend of anise, fennel, and other botanicals. It is typically clear in color and has a distinct licorice flavor.
Think of it as the more refined, more elegant cousin of licorice candy. It is lush, herbal, sweet, and intensely aromatic. When used in cocktails, it acts a bit like a botanical wildcard, adding depth and intrigue to everything it touches. Anise balances nicely with fruit flavors, so feel free to add fruit flavors such as berries or honeydew melon to your cocktail. Sambuca will also complement herbal flavors such as mint, basil, tarragon, and thyme.
One pro tip before you start mixing: Sambuca is extremely sweet, so if you are adding it to a cocktail that requires simple syrup or sugar, omit completely or reduce the amount of simple syrup in the recipe so you do not wind up with a cloyingly sweet cocktail. Balance the sweetness of sambuca with a sour element such as lime juice or a bitter element, like a few drops of cocktail bitters or a splash of tonic water.
18 Sambuca Cocktails You Need to Make Right Now
Sambuca Con La Mosca (With the Fly)

The most iconic, most Italian way to enjoy sambuca. Simple, ritualistic, and deeply satisfying, this is where every sambuca journey should begin.
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Ingredients:
- 45 ml (1.5 oz) white sambuca
- 3 whole coffee beans
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Instructions:
- Pour the sambuca into a small snifter or shot glass.
- Float exactly three coffee beans on top.
- Optional: carefully ignite the sambuca with a lighter, allowing it to burn for 5–10 seconds to lightly toast the coffee beans.
- Cover the glass with your hand to extinguish the flame and trap the aromatic vapors.
- Sip slowly and contemplate your next trip to Rome.
Why you will love it: It is ritual. It is romance. Those three beans representing health, happiness, and prosperity feel like a little wish with every sip.
Sambuca Caffè Corretto

Italy’s “corrected coffee.” This is what happens when espresso gets a delicious, anise-scented upgrade and honestly, it should replace your afternoon latte.
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Ingredients:
- 45 ml (1.5 oz) freshly pulled espresso
- 5–10 ml sambuca
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Instructions:
- Swirl the sambuca around the inside of your espresso cup so it coats the walls with a fragrant, herbal layer.
- Pour the freshly pulled espresso directly on top.
- No sugar needed — the sambuca sweetens everything beautifully.
- Drink immediately while the espresso is steaming hot.
Why you will love it: It transforms your coffee ritual into a moment of pure Italian elegance.
Sambuca Sour

Bright, citrusy, and utterly refreshing. The sambuca sour is the perfect gateway cocktail for anyone who thinks they might not like sambuca — the lemon juice softens the anise beautifully.
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Ingredients:
- 45 ml (1.5 oz) white sambuca
- 30 ml (1 oz) fresh lemon juice
- 15 ml (0.5 oz) simple syrup (reduce if desired, sambuca is already sweet)
- 1 egg white (optional, for a silky foam)
- Ice
- Lemon wheel and cocktail cherry to garnish
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Instructions:
- Combine sambuca, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white (if using) in a cocktail shaker without ice. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds (this is called a “dry shake” and creates the foam).
- Add a generous handful of ice and shake again for another 15 seconds.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel and a cherry.
Why you will love it: Frothy, elegant, and photographically stunning. This one was practically made for Pinterest.
Slippery Nipple Shot

Fun, flirtatious, and visually irresistible. This party-favorite shot layers flavors beautifully and looks almost too pretty to drink. Almost.
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Ingredients:
- 30 ml (1 oz) sambuca
- 30 ml (1 oz) Irish cream liqueur (like Baileys)
- A dash of grenadine (optional but highly recommended)
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Instructions:
- Pour the grenadine into the bottom of a shot glass first.
- Slowly pour the sambuca over the back of a spoon to layer it on top.
- Finally, float the Irish cream on top by pouring it slowly over the spoon.
- Serve immediately before the layers meld together.
Why you will love it: It looks like a creamy licorice stick. Slippery Nipples are shots that you will not need to chase with anything.
Sambuca Moscow Mule

A stunning twist on the copper-mug classic that gives the original a mysterious, herbal edge.
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Ingredients:
- 45 ml (1.5 oz) vodka
- 15 ml (0.5 oz) sambuca
- 20 ml (0.75 oz) fresh lime juice
- Ginger beer to top
- Ice
- Lime wedge to garnish
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Instructions:
- Fill a copper mug (or rocks glass) generously with ice.
- Add vodka, sambuca, and lime juice.
- Stir gently to combine.
- Top with cold ginger beer and give it one more gentle stir.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Why you will love it: The surprising combination of ginger and anise makes for a sweet and herbaceous twist on the traditional Moscow mule.
Sambuca Espresso Martini

The espresso martini already has a devoted following, but add a splash of sambuca and it transcends into something truly extraordinary. This is the cocktail equivalent of a little black dress.
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Ingredients:
- 45 ml (1.5 oz) vodka
- 30 ml (1 oz) freshly pulled espresso, cooled
- 20 ml (0.75 oz) coffee liqueur
- 10 ml sambuca
- Ice
- 3 coffee beans to garnish
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Instructions:
- Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Shake hard for at least 20 seconds — this is what creates the legendary foam on top.
- Double-strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Wait for the foam to settle and develop, then gently place three coffee beans on top.
- Serve immediately.
Why you will love it: It is the ultimate after-dinner cocktail. Sophisticated, energizing, and impossibly chic.
Sambuca Sazerac

A beloved New Orleans classic gets an Italian makeover. This is for the woman who appreciates something complex, brooding, and deeply sophisticated.
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Ingredients:
- 60 ml (2 oz) rye whiskey
- 10 ml sambuca (used as a rinse)
- 1 sugar cube
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Lemon twist to garnish
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Instructions:
- Chill a rocks glass with ice water, then discard the ice.
- Add the sambuca to the chilled glass and swirl it around to coat the entire interior. Discard any excess.
- In a mixing glass, muddle the sugar cube with the bitters.
- Add the rye whiskey and ice, and stir for about 30 seconds until well chilled.
- Strain into the sambuca-rinsed glass.
- Express a lemon twist over the top and use it as garnish.
Why you will love it: That sambuca rinse leaves just a whisper of anise that transforms the entire cocktail.
Blue Jellyfish Shot

This is the cocktail you make when you want everyone to stop and stare. One of the most mesmerizing cocktails you can make, the key to getting that jellyfish effect is to use a dropper — add a tiny splash of half and half, and watch the jellyfish come to life in the blue waters!
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Ingredients:
- 30 ml (1 oz) vodka
- 20 ml (0.75 oz) Blue Curacao
- 15 ml (0.5 oz) sambuca
- A splash of half-and-half or heavy cream (applied with a dropper)
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Instructions:
- Combine vodka, Blue Curacao, and sambuca in a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake briefly and strain into a shot glass.
- Using a small dropper or the tip of a spoon, very slowly drip a small amount of cream into the center of the shot.
- Watch the cream billow and bloom into a jellyfish shape.
- Serve immediately and do NOT stir.
Why you will love it: It is basically wearable art in a glass. Your camera roll will thank you.
Sambuca L’Arancia (Orange Sambuca)

Bright, citrusy, and inspired by Italy’s famous Battle of the Oranges festival in Ivrea. This cocktail is sweet, tart, and citrusy with a lovely licorice finish — a great alternative to a Screwdriver or even a Mimosa.
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Ingredients:
- 30 ml (1 oz) white sambuca
- 30 ml (1 oz) triple sec or Cointreau
- 60 ml (2 oz) fresh orange juice
- Ice
- Orange wheel and fresh mint to garnish
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Instructions:
- Fill a rocks glass or tall glass with ice.
- Pour in the sambuca, triple sec, and orange juice.
- Stir gently to combine.
- Garnish with an orange wheel and a sprig of fresh mint.
Why you will love it: It is Sunday brunch in a glass. Fresh, fizzy-adjacent, and absolutely gorgeous in color.
Mocha Sambuca

For when you want dessert AND a cocktail but refuse to choose between them. The ultimate dessert cocktail, this Mocha Sambuca is a sambuca-spiked hot coffee and chocolate with whipped cream on top. Sambuca and espresso are a classic duo, and adding chocolate takes it to a new level of decadence.
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Ingredients:
- 30 ml (1 oz) sambuca
- 15 ml (0.5 oz) chocolate liqueur or dark crème de cacao
- 90 ml (3 oz) hot brewed coffee or espresso
- Whipped cream to top
- Chocolate shavings or cocoa powder to garnish
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Instructions:
- Warm your mug with hot water, then discard.
- Pour the sambuca and chocolate liqueur into the warmed mug.
- Pour in the hot coffee and stir briefly.
- Top generously with whipped cream.
- Finish with a dusting of cocoa powder or a few chocolate shavings.
Why you will love it: It is like a tiramisu decided to become a cocktail.
Baby Guinness (Sambuca Edition)

This visually deceiving shot is the one that will make your guests do a double take. The result is not just a treat for the taste buds but a feast for the eyes, reminiscent of a tiny, drinkable Guinness. It is a playful yet sophisticated beverage.
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Ingredients:
- 22 ml (0.75 oz) black sambuca
- 8 ml (0.25 oz) Irish cream liqueur (Baileys)
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Instructions:
- Pour the black sambuca into a shot glass, filling it about three-quarters full.
- Very slowly pour the Baileys over the back of a spoon held just above the sambuca so it floats on top.
- The cream layer should look bright and white, sitting on the dark sambuca just like a perfect pint of Guinness.
- Admire for a moment, then shoot.
Why you will love it: Absolute crowd pleaser, absolutely delicious, and takes about 30 seconds to make.
Black Widow Cocktail

Dramatic, dark, and perfect for a Halloween party or any night you want to lean into your mysterious side.
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Ingredients:
- 30 ml (1 oz) black sambuca
- 20 ml (0.75 oz) Chambord (black raspberry liqueur)
- 15 ml (0.5 oz) Cointreau
- Soda water to top
- Frozen raspberries and licorice to garnish
- Black sugar rim (optional)
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Instructions:
- If using the black sugar rim, moisten the edge of your glass and dip it into black sugar or activated charcoal mixed with sugar.
- Fill the glass with ice.
- Add the black sambuca, Chambord, and Cointreau.
- Top with a splash of soda water and stir gently.
- Garnish with frozen raspberries and a piece of licorice candy.
Why you will love it: Loaded with aniseed flavors, it is everything you need for your next scary movie night.
Sambuca Punch

A showpiece cocktail for when you are hosting a crowd. Multiple steps, but absolutely worth the effort, and it can be batched in advance.
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Ingredients:
- 45 ml (1.5 oz) white sambuca
- 60 ml (2 oz) pineapple juice
- 20 ml (0.75 oz) fresh lemon juice
- A few fresh mint leaves
- Mashed raspberries to top
- Ice
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Instructions:
- In a small bowl, lightly muddle the fresh mint leaves.
- Combine pineapple juice, lemon juice, and muddled mint in a shaker with ice.
- Shake well and strain over fresh ice in a highball glass.
- Add the sambuca and stir gently.
- Top with a generous spoonful of mashed raspberries, letting them bleed their color down through the drink.
- Garnish with a sprig of mint.
Why you will love it: The piece de resistance is the mashed raspberry topping that makes a blood-red cap. It is as beautiful as it is delicious.
Sambuca Collins

A sparkling, garden-fresh twist on the classic Tom Collins. Sambuca’s sweetness and herbaceous earthy flavors are the perfect element to add in place of simple syrup in a classic Tom Collins.
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Ingredients:
- 45 ml (1.5 oz) gin
- 20 ml (0.75 oz) sambuca
- 20 ml (0.75 oz) fresh lemon juice
- Club soda to top
- Ice
- Lemon wheel and maraschino cherry to garnish
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Instructions:
- Fill a highball or Collins glass with ice.
- Add gin, sambuca, and lemon juice.
- Top with club soda and give it a gentle stir.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel and a maraschino cherry.
Why you will love it: Tall, fizzy, herbal, and utterly refreshing on a warm afternoon.
Sambuca Coffee Frappe

Italy meets the café. This iced, blended delight is what happens when your post-dinner sambuca tradition meets summer. The balance of flavors speaks to the versatility of Sambuca, proving it’s not just for sipping but also for crafting innovative iced beverages.
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Ingredients:
- 30 ml (1 oz) sambuca
- 45 ml (1.5 oz) cold brew coffee or strong chilled espresso
- 15 ml (0.5 oz) coffee liqueur
- 120 ml (4 oz) milk or oat milk
- 1 cup ice
- Whipped cream and coffee beans to garnish
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Instructions:
- Add the sambuca, cold brew, coffee liqueur, milk, and ice to a blender.
- Blend until smooth and frothy.
- Pour into a tall glass.
- Top with whipped cream and garnish with three coffee beans.
Why you will love it: It is your afternoon iced coffee but make it Italian and a little scandalous.
Pineapple Shooter

Summer in a shot glass. Tropical, tangy, and with that signature sambuca depth beneath the fruit.
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Ingredients:
- 30 ml (1 oz) sambuca
- 30 ml (1 oz) pineapple juice
- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- A drop of grenadine
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Instructions:
- Combine sambuca, pineapple juice, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake well for 10–12 seconds.
- Strain into a shot glass.
- Add a single drop of grenadine — do not stir, let it sink and create a gradient fade from pink to deep crimson.
Why you will love it: Sweet and tangy explosion with a beautiful color fade from light pink to deep crimson. Basically a sunset in a glass.
The Resolution Cocktail

Because every day is a good day to raise a glass to new beginnings. The Resolution Cocktail is a delicious and unique blend of tropical and Mediterranean flavors that combines nearly equal parts sambuca and guava juice, adding a splash of prosecco for a bubbly and crisp finish.
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Ingredients:
- 30 ml (1 oz) white sambuca
- 30 ml (1 oz) guava juice
- A splash of prosecco or sparkling wine to top
- Ice
- Fresh lime wheel to garnish
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Instructions:
- Fill a wine glass or coupe with ice.
- Pour in the sambuca and guava juice.
- Stir briefly to combine.
- Top with a gentle splash of prosecco.
- Garnish with a lime wheel.
Why you will love it: Sophisticated, bubbly, and exotic. This is the kind of cocktail that makes you feel like you are celebrating, always.
Manbuca (The Sambuca Manhattan)

Smooth, smoky, complex, and quietly extraordinary. The Manbuca gets its name from the combination of Sambuca and Manhattan. This recipe adds a dash of sambuca to the classic whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters trio. Sweet, bitter, and smoky is a perfect cocktail trifecta that gets a warming licorice kick with the addition of sambuca.
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Ingredients:
- 60 ml (2 oz) rye whiskey or bourbon
- 20 ml (0.75 oz) sweet vermouth
- 10 ml (0.33 oz) sambuca
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Ice
- Maraschino cherry and orange twist to garnish
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Instructions:
- Combine whiskey, sweet vermouth, sambuca, and bitters in a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir for 30 seconds until the cocktail is well-chilled and properly diluted.
- Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass.
- Express an orange twist over the surface and drop it in.
- Add a maraschino cherry to garnish.
Why you will love it: This is the cocktail equivalent of a cashmere turtleneck. Warm, rich, and effortlessly stylish.
Tips for Building Your Sambuca Cocktail Bar at Home
What to stock:
- White sambuca — the essential, versatile base
- Black sambuca — for dramatic, dark cocktails with violet-blue hues
- Fresh espresso or cold brew coffee
- Fresh citrus: lemons, limes, and oranges
- Ginger beer, club soda, and prosecco
- Good quality Irish cream liqueur
- Coffee beans (always in odd numbers!)
Essential tools:
- A cocktail shaker
- A jigger for measuring
- A bar spoon for layering
- A fine mesh strainer
- A dropper for show-stopping effects
Glassware: Coupe glasses for elegant sours and martinis, shot glasses for fun layered shots, highball glasses for long drinks, and a special snifter for the traditional con la mosca ritual.
The Perfect Food Pairings
Sambuca’s natural affinity for food is part of what makes it so special.
- After dinner: A small pour of white sambuca con la mosca alongside a slice of dark chocolate or an affogato is the most Italian ending to any meal.
- With cheese: The sweetness of sambuca cuts beautifully through salty aged cheeses like Pecorino or Parmigiano.
- With dessert: Tiramisu, panna cotta, and cannoli all love a sambuca companion.
- As an aperitif: Try the sambuca sour or the Resolution cocktail as an elegant opening to a dinner party.
Final Thoughts
Sambuca is one of those spirits that rewards curiosity. The more you explore it, the more you discover: from that meditative three-bean ritual steeped in centuries of Italian tradition to the kind of dazzling, jaw-dropping party cocktails that have people asking for your “secret.” Today, Sambuca remains an iconic part of Italy’s spirited cultural legacy, embodying the essence of la dolce vita.
Whether you are sipping a silky Sambuca Sour on your balcony as the sun sets, shaking up an Espresso Martini for your best friends, or presenting an impossibly beautiful Blue Jellyfish shot at a party, one thing is certain: sambuca never fails to bring a touch of Italian magic to the moment.
So pour yourself something beautiful, float three coffee beans on top, and toast to health, happiness, and prosperity. You deserve it.
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Sources: https://chesbrewco.com
Category: Cocktails