Digestivi
Sambuca con la Mosca
The short answer
Sambuca is a clear Italian anise liqueur at about 38% ABV, traditionally served neat with three coffee beans — con la mosca, 'with the fly'.
- Style
- Anise liqueur, 38% ABV
- Glass
- Small liqueur glass or shot glass
- Strength
- About 38% ABV
Where it comes from
Commercialised in Civitavecchia in 1851 and made famous nationally by Molinari in the 1940s. The three beans stand for health, happiness and prosperity; the flaming-shot routine is a tourist invention, not an Italian one.
What you need
- 1.5 oz (45 ml) sambuca
- 3 coffee beans
- Optional: cold water, to turn it cloudy
How Larry builds it
- 01
Pour neat and cool. Room temperature or lightly chilled, in a small glass.
- 02
Float three beans. Chew them as you sip — the coffee cuts the sweetness.
- 03
Or add water. A splash turns it milky white as the anise oils come out of solution. This is the ouzo effect, and it is a legitimate way to drink it.
Larry’s rule: Three beans for health, happiness and prosperity. Larry always takes four.
Variations worth making
Caffè corretto alla sambuca
A splash in an espresso, the everyday Italian use.
Sambuca nera
Black sambuca with elderberry and liquorice.
Sambuca con mosca
The classic three-bean service.
Questions people ask
What does sambuca taste like?
Sweet star anise and liquorice, with elderflower underneath. Closer to Greek ouzo and French pastis than to any dessert liqueur.
Why does sambuca have three coffee beans?
They represent health, happiness and prosperity, and chewing them balances the sweetness.
Should sambuca be set on fire?
No. It scorches the anise oils and ruins the flavour — and Italians do not do it.
More from Digestivi
← All 67 Italian drinksQuoting or citing this drink? Credit “Uncle Larry Adventures” and link to https://unclelarryadventures.com/beverages/sambuca.