Nail In The Coffin Cocktail recipe
Rating
Can you make this?
Add the ingredients you have at home to your My Bar and we'll show you what cocktails you can make. Start off by adding the ingredients you have for this cocktail using the plus icons.
Nail In The Coffin is a bold, pub-style mixed drink that leans into the “snakebite and black” family, then takes a sharper turn with a hit of anise. It sits firmly in the easygoing, big-serve tradition of pint-glass combinations—less about cocktail lore and more about a straightforward, high-impact blend you’ll recognise from casual nights out.
You’ll find the cider’s crisp apple sweetness and the lager’s clean bitterness set up a refreshing, lightly fizzy base, with each sip landing somewhere between fruity and dry. Sambuca brings a concentrated, aromatic anise sweetness that cuts through the beer-and-cider mix and lingers on the finish. A dash of blackcurrant cordial deepens the fruit character, adding a dark berry sweetness that ties the cider to the sambuca and softens the lager’s edge.
Serve it when you want something long, cold, and unapologetically punchy—ideal for parties, barbecues, or a no-fuss night with friends. If you enjoy snakebite-style drinks or you’re curious about anise flavours in a tall serve, this one is right up your street.
Microbadges
Can you make this?
Add the ingredients you have at home to your My Bar and we'll show you what cocktails you can make. Start off by adding the ingredients you have for this cocktail using the plus icons.
Tags
Cocktail Colin says:
Sambuca’s anise sweetness punches through the crisp cider and bready lager, while a dash of blackcurrant cordial adds dark berry tang that tints the whole pint. It works because the cider’s acidity and the lager’s fizz keep the sambuca from feeling syrupy, making it best for adventurous pub-drink fans who like bold, sweet-herbal twists.
Method
How to make a Nail In The Coffin
- Sambuca 30ml, Cider 275ml, Lager 275ml, Blackcurrant cordial Dash
-
- Add half a pint of cider, half a pint of lager and a dash of blackcurrant cordial to a pint glass
-
- Pour a shot of sambuca into a shot glass, then drop into the pint glass and serve
Power tips
Elevate the Nail In The Coffin with these master mixologist tips
Upgrade to premium
And receive world class tips on how to raise your cocktails to the next level.
Find out more- Upgrade to premium to receive power tips from top bartenders around the world. Raise you mixology game.
- Read the tweaks that take this simple cocktail to the next level of greatness. Become the next best mixologist which people all talk about.
Learn more about some of the mixology terms used in this cocktail
· Dash ·Your private tasting notes
Featured in
FAQ's
Can I substitute the blackcurrant cordial in Nail In The Coffin?
Yes, if blackcurrant cordial is not available, you can substitute it with another berry-flavored cordial or syrup. Raspberry or mixed berry cordial can work as a good alternative, keeping the fruity profile of the cocktail.
What is the best way to serve Nail In The Coffin?
Nail In The Coffin is best served cold in a pint glass. Ensure all the ingredients are chilled before mixing. Pour the Sambuca, blackcurrant cordial, cider, and lager into the glass without stirring to maintain the layered effect.
How does the alcohol content of Nail In The Coffin compare to a standard beer?
With an alcohol content of 6.71%, Nail In The Coffin is slightly stronger than most standard beers, which typically range from 4% to 6% alcohol by volume (ABV). Its combination of Sambuca, cider, and lager contributes to its higher ABV.
What occasions are most suitable for serving Nail In The Coffin?
Nail In The Coffin, given its unique name and robust mixture of flavors, is best suited for Halloween parties or themed events. It can also be a conversation starter at casual gatherings or as a daring choice at tasting events.
What food pairs well with Nail In The Coffin?
The fruity yet robust profile of Nail In The Coffin pairs well with savory snacks like salted nuts, cheese boards, or heavy meat dishes such as barbecue ribs or burgers to balance the cocktail's sweetness and strength.
Upgrade your mixology
Become a member for free taking your cocktail making skills up to level 11. Or become a premium member to rise to cocktail greatness.
- Save your bar forever
- Access to our Cocktail Creator, allowing you to create your own wonderful concoctions.
- Access to Cocktail Colin; ask Cocktail Colin anything on an individual cocktail and he'll give you the answers you need.
- Create personalised cocktail menus for all your events, bars or parties
- Save cocktails to personalised 'Tried' and 'Want to try' lists
- Create and record tasting notes on cocktails
- Create lists of cocktails to share with friends and family
- A personalised MyBar URL, allowing you to share everything you can make with friends
- And much more ... (what to buy next, measurement choices, search personalisation...)
Have you tried our Wordpress Plugin?
Download our plugin and embed cocktail recipes directly onto your own site or blog.
Choose from our whole recipe database, or choose a specific cocktail made with a certain ingredient, and let us place a beautiful recipe on your own site.
Find out moreYou might also like
Indulge in this sweet, spiced coffee liqueur concoction.
Sambuca Coffee Frappe
Sambuca, Coffee liqueur
Try this intense mix of whiskey and sambuca
Anaconda Shooter
Whiskey, Sambuca
Experience this layered delight with a blazing twist
Flaming Lamborghini
Sambuca, Bailey's, Coffee liqueur, Blue curaçao
Relish this rich blend of Sambuca and coffee liqueur.
Black Prince
Sambuca, Cognac, Coffee liqueur, Sugar
Create a cocktail
Choose a theme and some ingredients, give us some description and we'll create an amazing cocktail for you.
Register as a Premium Make Me a Cocktail community member and get access to an even more powerful creator.
Start creatingBuild your bar
Tell us what you have at home and we’ll find a delicious cocktail for you to make right now.
Register as a Make Me a Cocktail community member and we’ll save your ingredients list so you can come back to it at any time.
Create My Bar
Cocktail Colin
Your cocktail expert
Hi! I'm Cocktail Colin
Ask me anything about this cocktail - how to make it, substitutions, variations, or any other questions!
Become a member to access Cocktail Colin
Become a member (for free) to pick Cocktail Colin's cocktail filled brain on everything on this cocktail, from substitutions, if you can use what you have, to serving suggestions and more.
Become a member
Comments