Don’t Judge Me Mondays: Sambuca Twist

/ Uncategorized

My husband recently took on the project of organizing our liqueur cabinet again.  Occasionally we cook something that requires some type of booze and it’s always impossible to tell what we have!  Proof of this is that I was totally astounded at the inventory (How do we have TWO bottles of gin opened?).  Anyhoo, this activity reminded me we have sambuca, which is a syrupy Italian anise liqueur.  It is so yummy and a perfect ingredient for this month, so I had to try out a new cocktail with it (twist my arm, right? he he).

Let’s get to it! 

Fill a cocktail shaker a third of the way with ice. 

Pour in the OJ, lime juice, and sambuca. 

Give it a few hearty shakes. Originally, I thought about making this cocktail just in a regular glass over ice.  However. I realized the syrupy nature of the sambuca wouldn’t allow it to all mix together very well.  Putting it in a shaker solves that.

Strain in a large martini glass and garnish with a small piece of orange if you’re so inclined.

This drink is absolutely lovely and a must-try for anyone that likes the taste of licorice!  The sambuca adds some sweetness, but the tartness of the lime helps counteract that.  Somehow the sambuca also makes the orange pop more.  This drink definitely makes me want to try other things using the orange and licorice combo, maybe an orange and anise cake?  We’ll see!

If you’re looking for other cocktails to use sambuca in (I know it’s kinda of a specialty liqueur so once you have a bottle you may want some more ideas!), check out my Birthday Girl and Mom Collins cocktails.

Good luck getting through the week!