Top 10 Best Sambuca Brands From Italy & Where To Buy Sambuca

1. Molinari Sambuca Extra

The Molinari family is one of the most significant sambuca producers in Italy and its distillery has been in operation since 1945. Besides star anise seed essential oil, Molinari’s secret family recipe features a variety of herbs and rare spices.

Its sweet and enduring nose is extended on the palate with full-flavoured yet balanced notes of anise. If you’re looking for a superior sambuca, Molinari is one of the best that you can buy.

2. Luxardo Sambuca dei Cesari

Founded in 1821, Luxardo became a prevalent distillery in the Dalmation region and is best known for perfecting maraschino cherry liqueur. Throughout its history, the original distillery has been caught in the crossfire of numerous conflicts and was even bombarded during the Second World War.

Nevertheless, the surviving family members persevered and rebuilt today’s distillery in Torreglia. Luxardo’s Sambuca Dei Cesari is a GMO-free, kosher-certified, and vegan friendly sambuca. It’s made using the family’s original recipe with carefully-surced ingredients.

3. Meletti Anisetta & Sambuca

Although Meletti produces regular sambuca, we’re particularly fond of its traditional anisette too. In 1870, Silvo Meletti starting making anisette from his mother’s small shop.

Today, it is one of the finest examples of anisette, which is still produced using aniseed locally sourced from Ascoli Piceno. If you’re looking for a drier alternative to sambuca, you should really give Meletti a try!

4. Antica Sambuca

Based in Barbarano Mossano between Venice and Verona, Rossi d’Asiago is an award-winning historical distillery. It was founded in 1868 and today produces an exciting range of sambuca with different flavours.

Needless to say, we’re particularly fond of the classic, which is a natural liqueur made using traditional methods. Star anise is mong the 16 herbs and spices that are steeped and distilled before adding additional anise oil and sugar. Consequently, it’s a rich and smooth-flavoured sambuca.

5. Romana Sambuca

Pallini is one of Rome’s oldest and most respected distilling families in Italy. Although it was founded in Antrodoco in 1875, it moved to Rome in the 1920s where its distillery continues to operate today.

Today, Pallini produces a variety of sambuca labels for different markets. However, we’re pretty fond of Romana. The family has been producing this label since 1992, which is relatively easy to find in the USA.

6. Antica Black Sambuca

As mentioned above, Antica produces a variety of different sambuca flavours, which includes raspberry, apple, banana, and coffee. However, we’re particularly fond of their classic black liquorice sambuca. You’d be surprised by its violet black robe that the anise is still the literal star of the show. However, it endures and only allows hints of liquorice in the nose and finish.

7. Borghetti Sambuca Oro

Although the Fratelli Branca are best known for their vermouth and authentic aromatised wines in the Lombardy region, they have also dabbled in spirits. After years of intensive research, the brothers released their own variety of sambuca in 2001.

Operating under the name Borghetti, you may not realise that it’s a Branca product at first. Nevertheless, a single sip reveals their attention to detail and passion for quality drinking experiences.

8. Lazzaroni 1851 Sambuca

Lazzaroni is probably best known for its amaretto that it has been producing since 1851. However, the family also produces a variety of other spirits including their classic sambuca, which is produced from a century’s old recipe.

In order to create their distinctive flavour, the alcohol is distilled from molasses. Meanwhile, the star anise essential oils are extracted through steam distillation and the botanicals include elderberries and fennel.

9. Di Angela Sambuca

A very affordable sambuca, Di Angela’s creation is easily the cheapest on this list. Although we wouldn’t recommend it for drinking neat, it’s a great ingredient if you’re looking to craft a few cocktails on a budget.

10. Romana Black Sambuca

Another Pallini family creation, the black Romana is the best-selling sambuca in the USA! It’s an original blend, which is created by infusing elder bush with liquorice, which is then sweetened and enhanced with a secret recipe of herbs and spices.

While its anise notes are certainly present, they’re not quite as strong as the Antica Black listed above.  Instead, the elderberries and liquorice play a more prominent role.