Flight School

After sharing some back-to-basics styles of wines with you earlier this week to recover from the post-holiday overindulgence, let's continue our healing in a different way. Before we continue, here is an important message:

EDITOR'S NOTE: None of what is about to follow is proven to be an aid to your health in any way, with no medical evidence to support these words. This is simply the author sharing an experience that will (hopefully) turn you on to this drink by praising its positive attributes.

There. Now with that out of the way, part two of the recovery around here is not only from the overeating and the overflowing of drink, but rather the vile stomach bug that swiftly ripped through our family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. After that, the cold and sinus issues ran rampant, leading to the inability to taste anything whether it was food or beverage. Kind of a rough way to spend the holiday break while Mr. Freeze holds Gotham and the rest of the Eastern U.S. hostage. Fortunately, we always have inventory of an important bar item here, especially during the fall and winter months. It is unique, soothing, and packed with flavor. I'm talking about the anise-based elixir known as Sambuca.

If you encounter this and taste it, please tell me about it!

Anise-based spirits have a long history that dates back to the later days of the Byzantine Empire (around 1200 A.D.), and these botanical-driven drinks were, as was commonplace with most spirits, created as a way to cure some kind of ailment. This led to products such as Raki (Turkey), Ouzo (Greece), and Absinthe (France) being developed in their respective home countries, all of which have varying levels of star anise, supporting cast botanicals (a seemingly countless range of spices and roots), and residual sugar. Italy's Sambuca, often made in southern areas like Calabria, uses star anise as well, but green anise, fennel, and elderflower enter the equation. In fact, Sambuca takes its name from the Latin "sambucus" meaning "elderberry," reflecting a significant component in this drink that didn't gain commercial following until the 1800s. It is often a clear spirit (white Sambuca), but you can also find black Sambuca (higher elderbush and licorice content) or much to my surprise red Sambuca (a noticeable cinnamon and cherry flavor and aroma).

The most recognizable Sambuca label, and for good reason. It gives you everything you need to understand what Sambuca is all about.

So here in the Ambrosini household, we keep Sambuca on-hand for use as was done in ancient times...as "medicine." The Greatest Wife In The World and I don't know what it is about Sambuca, perhaps the elderflower content or anise's digestive ability, but it just seems to attack all the sore spots in our system. Does it have healing powers? I don't know for sure and I am not going to be some quack that says it does, but it seems to work for us.

The traditional Italian way of serving Sambuca is neat with three coffee beans to represent health, wealth, and happiness at the end of a meal. Honestly, it makes for a flavorful sweetener in black coffee or espresso, too...something that is a regular occurrence whenever I visit family back home. So whether you use Sambuca as a digestive or just to make you feel better, here are two for you to try. One is easily available, the other might require an order with your retailer, who can turn it around for you in a day if the distributor has it in stock (and is totally worth it).

Romana Sambuca ($25): This is the most recognizable Sambuca brand in the world and it will be very easy to find in any liquor mart. Pronounced anise flavor, mouthcoating, and noticeably sweet, this is a benchmark product that tastes great in coffee as it does a great job offsetting coffee's bitter properties.

Caffo Sambuca Secolare ($20): For $5 less than the Romana, you will get a Sambuca that is not as sweet with more elderflower content and more forward aromatics. If you can get your hands on this, I highly recommend trying it. This is what is in our bar at all times and what we prefer to drink neat.