● Hard 5 min
Hiroshima
A dramatic layered shot with Ibiza sambuca and absinthe.
Quick answer: 20 ml Ibiza sambuca • 20 ml cream liqueur
Recipes
Absinthe and sambuca cocktails
Recipes and shots with absinthe and sambuca: how to serve them, how much water to add and which cocktails use anise spirits.
BrandBar Editorial Team
Content prepared and tested by BrandBar's professional bartending team.
Absinthe and sambuca share anise — the source of the louche effect, where the drink turns cloudy as water goes in because the essential oils stop dissolving. That is not a fault but a sign of a properly made spirit, and the classic service is built around it.
In cocktails, anise spirits are almost never the base: 5–10 ml is enough to set the entire aroma. The classic example is rinsing the glass with absinthe for a Sazerac — the liquid is discarded and only the scent stays. Sambuca more often goes into shots and coffee.
Buy absinthe & sambuca7 recipes with absinthe & sambuca
Frequently asked questions
How should absinthe be drunk?
The safest and most common way is the French method: pour 30 ml and slowly add 3–5 parts iced water over a sugar cube. The drink louches, the strength drops to wine level and the aroma opens up.
How much absinthe goes into a cocktail?
5–10 ml, or nothing but a rinse of the glass. Anise overrides every other ingredient, so in recipes it acts as a seasoning rather than a base.
How does sambuca differ from absinthe?
Sambuca is sweet and built on anise and elderflower; absinthe is dry and built on wormwood with anise. Hence sambuca goes into shots and dessert drinks, while absinthe goes by drops into classic cocktails.
Other bases
GinRumWhiskeyVodkaTequilaCognac & brandyLiqueursBitters & infusionsAperitifsSparkling & wineCoffeeLemonadesAlcohol-free
All recipesDidn't find your favourite cocktail?
Build your own recipe in the constructor — layer by layer.
Open the constructor