PR White Sambuca Liqueur Essence 20 ml

PR White Sambuca Liqueur Essence 20 ml

Sambuca is the liqueur with a ritual. Three coffee beans in the glass – by tradition one for health, one for happiness and one for prosperity – sometimes a lit flame dancing on the surface for a few seconds, and then the thick, sweet aniseed flavour afterwards. Few drinks bring a dinner to a close with the same theatrical assurance.

Behind the show there is a properly flavoursome liqueur. Sambuca is built on star anise and elder, which gives it a rounder, more floral and spicy character than an ordinary aniseed liqueur. It is powerful, sweet and full-bodied, and suits both the small glass and the company of coffee.

Colour & Appearance

The finished liqueur is crystal clear and thick, with a distinctly oily, glossy texture that coats the glass. With ice or water it turns milky white, and served from the freezer it becomes as slow-flowing as syrup.

Nose

The nose is intense star anise – warm, sweet and spicy – with a clear floral note of elderflower on top. Lower down there are sweet liquorice, a little fennel and a hint of citrus peel and white pepper.

Palate

The palate is big and sweet. The star anise fills the whole mouth, spicy and warm, and the elderflower lends a perfumed, almost honeyed softness that rounds it off. The liquorice arrives in the middle, sweet like liquorice root rather than salty, and the thick, oily mouthfeel means the flavour stays put for a long time. The spirit gives a clear but pleasantly warming bite that balances all the sweetness. Chew one of the coffee beans and you get a roasted bitterness that marries perfectly with the aniseed.

Finish

The finish is very long, sweet and warming. Star anise and liquorice dominate, the floral side of the elder flits past and your lips turn a little sticky from the sweetness.

How to Use

The essence is mixed with vodka or neutral spirit plus sugar. 20 ml makes 750 ml of finished liqueur. Instructions are on the label.

Serving Suggestions

• The classic way: in a small glass with three coffee beans floating on the surface.
• In an espresso instead of sugar – a ‘corrected’ coffee.
• Ice cold straight from the freezer as a shot.
• With iced water or soda water and lemon as a long, cool drink.
• Over vanilla ice cream or fresh strawberries, or in a liquorice panna cotta.

About the Essence

White Sambuca is part of the PR (Prestige) series and is the clear, original style. Set against the anisette in the range it is fuller, spicier and more floral thanks to the elder. Do keep the bottle in the freezer – the high sugar content means the liqueur will not freeze, it only grows thicker and silkier, and then it is always ready when the coffee is served.

If you like things dark and dramatic, there is also a black sambuca in the range. The white is available in 25 litres for producers as well.