Once you begin researching spirits and liqueurs, brandies and cognac, ports and sherry's etc. you'll undoubtedly come across the mention of apéritifs (or aperitivo) and digestifs (or digestivo).
The usage of apéritifs and digestifs has made a revolutionary come-back in the past decade. Predominantly, craft cocktail bars like Volstead's Emporium (Minneapolis, Minnesota), The Varnish (Los Angeles, California), Sugar House (Detroit, Michigan), ROKC (New York City, New York), and The Rum Club (Portland, Oregon) in America, have popularised the revival of their applications in cocktails, subsequently re-introducing them to the rest of the world of mixology.
What the Heck is an Aperitif and Digestif?
The French word 'apéritif' can be traced back to the Medieval Latin word 'aperitivus', a derivative form of the Latin word 'apirere' meaning 'to open'. An aperitif is a liqueur you consume before dining to whet your appetite and stimulate your taste buds for the meal to come.
The French word 'digestif' can be linked back to the Medieval Latin word 'digestivus', a derivative form of the Latin word 'digerere' meaning 'to carry apart'. A digestif is a liqueur you consume after your meal, whose herbal qualities settles the stomach and facilitates a swift and smoother digestion.
So How Do They Taste Then?
Apéritifs often offer a very forward, bitter (Sometimes sugary sweet in the case of Aperol) and perfumed impression with bright citrus tones with notes like: blood orange and ruby red grapefruit zest, clove, licorice root, rhubarb, and gentian root appearing. The finish is long, characteristically pithy, and rather astringent.
Whereas, digestifs have an initially sweeter impression and a viscous body. Digestifs exhibit more herbal and earthier flavour profiles with notes of: artichoke, fennel, caraway, gentian, accompanied by the syrupy sweetness of caramel and warming allspice tones. The finish is usually reminiscent of ripe blackberries, dark cherries, and dried herbs.
How Are Aperitifs and Digestifs Served?
looking at multiple French and Italian apéritifs, it is recommended that the majority of them should be served chilled, over ice, with an orange or lemon zest, or with a carbonated seltzer (Or even a combination of all four pairings?). Bitter Italian apéritifs like Campari and Aperol behave really well with soda, which lessens their initial bitterness and elevates the bright citrus and tart rhubarb notes. An apéritif can be served in anything, from a shot glass, to a brandy snifter, to a cordial or grappa glass.
By looking through various Italian and Spanish digestifs, it appears that the majority of them are served straight (Or over ice like with Amaro Montenegro), at room temperature, and to be sipped slowly. The pronounced caramel and vanilla notes in cola are a peculiarly fitting pairing with the botanical herbs and spices found in Fernet-Branca (a drink commonly found in Bolivia, Uruguay, and Argentina). Pedro Ximénez sherry can even be served over a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream as an alcoholic, after-dinner treat. A digestif is commonly served straight in a cordial or grappa glass, or over ice in a tumbler glass.
Here Are 10 Aperitifs and Digestifs to Try!
1: Italicus is an Italian apéritif with the main botanical ingredient being bergamot; a fragrant citrus fruit, also the primary flavouring ingredient found in Earl Grey Tea. Italicus has a soft, citrusy nose with hints of rose and lavender, ripe citrus fruits on the palate, balanced with a light bitter and floral finish. Best served topped with prosecco and garnished with olives. Check out the 'Paradisi' cocktail.
2: Suze is a bitter French apéritif made from gentian root, which grows in the mountains of Switzerland and France. Suze begins with an earthy and bitter impression, followed by a floral note, with a 'beautiful soft citrus undertone'. Best served over ice with a slice of orange and soda. Check out the 'And Now For Something Suze' cocktail.
3: Rinomato is a bitter Italian apéritif made from several botanicals including chirata, angelica, wormwood, bitter orange peel, sweet orange peel, cascarilla bark, gentian root and rhubarb. Rinomato starts off with vanilla and a fresh cut grass freshness, with genteel bitterness on the palate (Far less forceful and woody than Campari). Best served over ice with soda. Check out 'The Shining Path' cocktail.
4: Lillet Blanc is a French apéritif wine from Bordeaux made from a blend of Sauvignon and Semillion grapes. Lillet Blanc starts off as mellow and elegant with uplifting orange peel notes with a touch of bitterness. Best served chilled over ice with an orange twist. Check out the 'Lillet Spritz' cocktail.
5: Dubonnet is a French aromatised apéritif wine made from a blend of red wine, brandy, and botanical spices like cinchona bark and other herbs. Dubonnet has a refreshing opening with fresh herbal notes like mint, thyme, and rosemary, then the bitterness of the quinine creeps in, accompanied alongside a spicy, peppered finish. Best served over ice (Just like Nelson Rockefeller drank it), chilled, or with soda. Check out 'The French Connection' cocktail!
6: Cynar is a bitter Italian amari digestif (and possibly an apéritif as well) with the predominant botanical being artichoke. Cynar tastes initially light and sugary, with a gradual creeping in of herbal and vegetal qualities on the palate. Best served with a slice of orange and soda. Check out the 'Bitter Giuseppe' cocktail.
7: Fernet-Branca is a type of Italian fernet, a style of amaro which is considered a digestif. Fernet-Branca contains rhubarb, gentian, galanga, chamomile, linden, iris, saffron, zedoary, myrrh, and cinchona. Fernet-Branca has a bold nose of fresh spices and peppermint, followed by a balance of sweetness and bitterness with a hint of anise, and a rather pleasant, smoothing finish. Best served straight. Check out the 'Fanciulli' cocktail.
8: Amaro Averna is an Italian digestif distilled and produced in Caltanissetta, Sicily. The botanicals used in Averna are kept secret, however we can assume that herbs, spices, and citrus rinds are macerated during the distillation process. Averna has a fragrant nose of anise, sage, rosemary, and thyme, followed by sweet syrupy note of warm caramel, with a bittersweet finish. Best served over ice with soda. Check out 'The Beatnik Cocktail'.
9: Oloroso Sherry is a varietal of fortified wine made in Jerez and Montilla-Moriles in Spain. Unlike it's counterparts, Oloroso sherry lacks the fresh, yeasty taste of Fino is far darker than Amontillado. Oloroso sherry is usually dark, dry, with warming notes of raisins, oak, and roasted walnuts. Best served slightly chilled. Check out the 'Colony Cobbler Sherry'.
10: Chartreuse is a French liqueur (that is considered a digestif). The botanical ingredients in Chartreuse are a well-guarded secret. A manuscript was given to the monks of the Chartreuse monastery in Vauvert, Paris in 1605 by Duc Francois Hannibal d' Estrées listing the 130 herbs that needed to be blended, infused, and macerated to make 'The Elixir of Long Life'. Chartreuse has a saccharine beginning, which travels towards a pungent and spicy, herbal note, the finish usually that of fresh, green, vegetal notes. Best served chilled or over ice. Check out the 'Last Word' cocktail.
So that's the essentials of apéritifs and digestifs! They have a rich and complicated history so do look into it. So next time you're out dining at a fine restaurant, ask for an aperitif over ice before your meal and order a straight digestif after your dinner. Sip it slowly, appreciate those bold or subtle flavours, treat them kindly and they will do their work. Happy Drinking!
By Lucas Barker, a passionate mixologist with seven years of hospitality experience. 1/3/21
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