Flander's Flake-Out is a simple two-ingredient long drink that combines Sambuca with sarsaparilla soda, creating a sweet, herbal, anise-forward refresher. The anise character of the Sambuca melds with the sweet, root beer-like herbal notes of the sarsaparilla for an unusual and distinctive combination. It is a low-effort build served in a Collins glass.
History & Origins
Flander's Flake-Out is a contemporary British pub drink with no documented single origin, combining two beverages with strong European herbal traditions. Sambuca has roots in southern Italian liqueur-making, while sarsaparilla was a popular 19th-century medicinal tonic in Britain and America. The name's precise origin is disputed and unrecorded.
Tasting Notes
Aroma: sweet anise from the Sambuca and the herbal, root-beer-adjacent aroma of sarsaparilla. Palate: very sweet and anise-forward with a herbal, slightly medicinal sarsaparilla character and moderate effervescence. Finish: sweet, herbal, and anise-heavy with a lingering root note.
Pro Tip
Pour the sarsaparilla first, then add the Sambuca gently to preserve the carbonation, and serve with plenty of ice to temper the sweetness.
Embed on your site — CocktailFYI
Add the widget to any webpage using a script tag.
<div data-cocktailfyi="recipe" data-slug="flanders-flake-out"></div>
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/cocktailfyi-embed@1/dist/embed.min.js" defer></script>
Embed using a standard iframe — works in any CMS.
<iframe src="https://cocktailfyi.com/iframe/recipe/flanders-flake-out/" width="100%" height="480" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" title="CocktailFYI recipe widget"></iframe>
Paste the URL into WordPress, Medium, or any oEmbed-aware editor.
https://cocktailfyi.com/recipes/flanders-flake-out/
Add a badge linking back to CocktailFYI.
<a href="https://cocktailfyi.com/recipes/flanders-flake-out/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://cocktailfyi.com/badge/site.svg" alt="CocktailFYI" height="20">
</a>
Use the CocktailFYI WordPress plugin shortcode.
[drinkfyi-recipe site="cocktailfyi" slug="flanders-flake-out"]
Use as a native HTML custom element in modern browsers.
<cocktailfyi-recipe slug="flanders-flake-out" theme="light"></cocktailfyi-recipe>
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/cocktailfyi-embed@1/dist/embed.min.js" defer></script>
Powered by CocktailFYI
Docs →