Anisette Liqueur Nutrition | Sweet Facts Guide

Anisette liqueur has ~110 calories and ~12 g sugar per 1 fl oz; it’s sweet, zero-fat, and about 25–35% ABV.

Nutrition In Anisette Liqueur — Calories, Sugar, ABV

Anise-flavored cordials are sweet by design. In lab-style databases, the generic “cordial or liqueur” record shows about 371 kcal and 41.6 g sugar per 100 g. That maps to roughly 110 kcal and 12–13 g sugar per 1 fl oz pour, with no fat or protein.

Typical Nutrition Per Serving

Serving	Calories	Total Sugars
1 fl oz (≈30 ml)	~110	~12–13 g
1.5 fl oz (≈45 ml)	~165	~18–20 g
100 g (lab ref)	371	41.6 g

Why the spread? Brands vary in sugar concentration and ABV. French and Spanish labels often sit near the middle; some Italian versions taste richer. Either way, the nutrition is driven by alcohol and sugars, not micronutrients.

Where The Numbers Come From

The calorie and sugar profile above follows the generic liqueur entry built from U.S. survey data, which captures sweet cordials in retail use. Alcohol supplies 7 kcal per gram, so two small pours add up fast on a menu.

How ABV Shapes Calories

Most anisette ranges from the mid-20s to mid-30s percent alcohol. More alcohol edges energy upward even if sugars stay constant. If you taste a drier, higher-proof expression, expect a similar calorie count per ounce and fewer dessert-like notes.

Ingredients And Brand Differences

Producers distill aniseed and blend in neutral spirit, sugar syrup, and botanicals. A shorter sugar addition tastes leaner; a heavier syrup tastes dessert-like. Labels rarely list grams of sugar, so judging by taste and ABV is the practical cue.

Sugar Styles You’ll Notice

Quick check: does it read candy-sweet on the first sip? That usually means a higher sugar load per ounce. If it tastes soft but not sticky, you’re likely closer to the lower end of the range in the card above.

ABV Range By Tradition

Classic anisette sits below a dry anise spirit like pastis. Expect something near the mid-20s in many bottles, with some houses bottling closer to the mid-30s. Warmer alcohol feel signals more ethanol; a syrupy feel signals more sugar.

Serving Size Math

Bar recipes bounce between 1 oz accents and 1.5 oz pours. Using the generic liqueur benchmark, that 1.5 oz pour lands near 165 kcal with around 18–20 g sugar. If you mix with coffee or soda water, the liqueur still supplies nearly all of the energy. You can see the baseline numbers in the MyFoodData entry.

Smarter Ways To Sip

Pick A Smaller Glass

Choose 1 oz instead of a larger pour. Same flavor, fewer calories and sugars. If you want a longer drink, add ice or a splash of cold water to open the aromatics without adding more liqueur.

Mind The Alcohol Equivalents

A 1.5 oz shot at ~30% ABV is close to one U.S. “standard drink.” That benchmark helps you tally alcohol across cocktails and cordials; the definition comes from a national health agency. See the standard drink chart.

Easy Lower-Sugar Mixes

• Espresso + anisette, skip extra sweetener.
• Soda water with a citrus twist over a single ounce.
• Over crushed ice with a thin orange peel to lift aroma.

Simple Math For Calories

Here’s a handy way to ballpark a pour. One ounce at 30% ABV contains about 7 g of alcohol (1 oz × 0.30 × 0.789 g/ml × 29.6 ml/oz). Alcohol contributes ~49 kcal. Add roughly 12 g sugar per ounce (another ~48 kcal), and you land close to 100 kcal per ounce. Sweeter recipes climb higher.

Anise Spirits Compared

Sweet anise liqueurs share a flavor family with dry anise spirits. The big differences are sugar and ABV. Here’s a quick side-by-side to set expectations at the bar cart.

How Sweet Anise Drinks Stack Up

Drink	Typical ABV	Notes On Sweetness
Anisette	~25–35%	Sweet; sugar drives most calories.
Sambuca	~38–42%	extra sweet; similar calories per ounce.
Pastis/Ouzo	~40–45%	Little or no sugar; energy comes from alcohol.

Handy Mixers And Pairings

Balanced Cocktails

Use anisette as the sweet element, then bring in acid or bubbles. Think: dry gin plus a teaspoon of anisette and lemon peel, or chilled soda water over a single ounce with a squeeze of orange. Bitters add contrast without adding sugar.

Cook With A Light Hand

A teaspoon in cake batter perfumes a whole pan. In a syrup for poached fruit, use a small splash at the end so the aroma stays bright. When you flambé, alcohol burns but sugars remain; that’s why dessert sauces still taste sweet after the flame goes out.

Storage And Label Clues

Keep It Fresh

Store away from sunlight and heat. Seal tightly to preserve aromatics. The flavor stays lively for months; if the nose fades or tastes flat, the bottle may have sat open too long.

What The Label Tells You

Proof or ABV gives the alcohol content. Words such as “distilled” describe the flavor extraction method. Country of origin hints at style. None of these lines guarantee sugar grams, so your best nutrition cues are taste, texture, and the generic liqueur baseline above.

Buyer’s Notes

ABV on the back label sets expectations for flavor and energy. Bottles near 25% taste soft and syrupy; bottles near 35% feel warmer and a touch drier. If you prefer a lighter profile, start low and mix with ice or water. If you want punch, a higher proof neat pour will read bolder.

Serving size on recipes can be deceptive. A drink that lists “dash” or “barspoon” adds only a few milliliters, while a dessert built with a quarter cup has more than six ounces. Scan recipes for exact measures so you can track calories accurately, then adjust the pour to match your plans precisely.

Final Tips For Home Cooks And Bartenders

For a quick coffee nightcap, pour 1 oz anisette into hot espresso and skip any syrups. For a lighter highball, build 1 oz over ice, top with soda water, and add a citrus peel. For dessert recipes, measure by the teaspoon; the aroma is strong, so you’ll get flavor without overloading sugar.