A new era for sambuca is underway with the UK debut of Cimbroni, positioned as the first true luxury sambuca to enter the domestic drinks market.

The brand aims to reposition the historic Italian spirit within the premium and super-premium space, aligning it more closely with categories such as Tequila and Gin rather than the traditional shot-led perception prevalent in the UK.

The venture marks the first move into spirits for Julian Hearn, founder and CMO of multi-million-pound nutrition brand Huel.

He co-founded Cimbroni alongside Kennet Newell-Hearn, a former professional rugby player and luxury spirits enthusiast. Together, the pair are targeting a reappraisal of sambuca’s role in the back bar and in at-home consumption.

Traditionally served in Italy as a digestivo – neat, with three coffee beans (con la mosca), or alongside espresso – sambuca has long been associated with ritual and after-dinner occasions. Cimbroni seeks to retain this cultural heritage while modernising the serve and broadening its appeal to premium spirits drinkers.

Central to the brand’s proposition is a production process designed to deliver greater depth and refinement than standard sambuca expressions. Crafted with Organic Agave and a blend of botanicals including orris root, Damascus rose, myrrh, petitgrain and elderberry, the spirit is aged for 33 days in oak – a claimed category first – to build structure and complexity.

The result, according to the founders, is a notably drier, deeper and more balanced profile intended for sipping rather than shooting.

Julian Hearn said: "Sambuca has unfairly garnered a somewhat cheapened reputation as a ‘shot’ drink in the UK market, and we’re here to transform that, restoring the elegance it was originally created with in Italy centuries ago."

Cimbroni launches with two 70cl SKUs, each priced at £45 RRP and available initially via the brand’s dedicated website.

The varieties include:

• Cimbroni 33 Classic (40% ABV) – Aged for 33 days in oak and infused with eleven botanicals, including cardamom, clove, liquorice, cassia bark, star anise, fennel and elderflower. Organic Agave is used to enhance texture and balance. The liquid delivers layered anise, dry oak influence and a subtle smoky finish designed for slow sipping.

• Cimbroni 33 Coffee (38% ABV) – A darker, more robust interpretation that builds on the Classic’s botanical base with pronounced roasted coffee and burnt caramel notes. Oak ageing contributes warmth and length, positioning the variant as an after-dinner alternative to coffee liqueurs or traditional digestifs.

Hearn commented: “At its core, sambuca embodies ritual, clarity of flavour and celebration. Cimbroni refines these elements, bringing a level of craftsmanship and luxury that the category has never seen before.”

Cimbroni is now available for UK-wide purchase direct-to-consumer at an RRP of £45 per 70cl bottle.