The anise-flavoured liqueur has been put to use in a dangerous new drinking game. But is there any scope for it to recover its glamorous Italian roots?
Luigi Manzi must be spinning in his grave. One hundred and sixty-eight years after launching the first commercial sambuca, the reputation of this boisterous booze hit a new low this week. Footage went viral showing a group of posh blokes straight out of central casting using it to set each other’s hair on fire as part of a drinking game.
That is very sambuca, you may think. From its 1970s height as an ingredient in dubious shooters such as the slippery nipple (sambuca and Irish cream liqueur), to its modern role as a cheap student union staple, this sweet, star anise-flavoured liqueur has become a byword for, if not outright stupidity, then the trend of drinking to get drunk.
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