What the #$@! Do I Do with This? Galliano: What It Is and How to Use It.

The inclusion of star anise and anise make it akin to Sambuca or Pastis, according to Andrew Nichols, the head bartender for Atlas Restaurant Group in Baltimore. “Swapping Galliano for absinthe in a drink like a Sazerac can make a challenging drink more approachable,” he says. And because agave spirits are rich in vanillin, the same flavor compound that provides Galliano’s dominant flavor, he also recommends it as a modifier in tequila-based drinks.

Nichols goes on to point out that it shares many of the same spices as Italian amari, without the latter’s bitter elements like gentian, wormwood or cinchona. “Split an amari component of a cocktail in small amounts with Galliano to cut the bitterness without sacrificing depth of flavor,” he says.

The inclusion of star anise and anise make it akin to Sambuca or Pastis, according to Andrew Nichols, the head bartender for Atlas Restaurant Group in Baltimore. “Swapping Galliano for absinthe in a drink like a Sazerac can make a challenging drink more approachable,” he says. And because agave spirits are rich in vanillin, the same flavor compound that provides Galliano’s dominant flavor, he also recommends it as a modifier in tequila-based drinks.

Nichols goes on to point out that it shares many of the same spices as Italian amari, without the latter’s bitter elements like gentian, wormwood or cinchona. “Split an amari component of a cocktail in small amounts with Galliano to cut the bitterness without sacrificing depth of flavor,” he says.