Aperitifs & Digestifs

Gregory Cartier

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Appreciation for quality food and drink is more pervasive than ever. Nostalgia for an era in which gentlemen had taste and bartenders were alchemists rather than mere purveyors of cocktails is at an all-time high. As a result, sophistication is front and center. The aperitif and digestif have entered into the realm of cool again.

aperi-what?
The names seem to denote what they are, but confusion abounds when it comes to the two. An aperitif, from the Latin aperire, or "to open," enhances the appetite before a meal. A digestif stimulates digestion once the meal is done. While there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to inebriants, personal taste usually dictating what we drink, aperitifs and digestifs are what they are for some very sound reasons. Because an aperitif is a stimulant for the appetite and the palate, an excess of alcohol dulls the taste buds and causes other unwelcome results on an empty stomach. Thus, brandy and Scotch whisky do not fit the mold of an aperitif. With few exceptions, the best aperitifs are between 16% and 24% alcohol (32 to 48 proof). They are often wine derivatives that producers fortify and flavor, although some, like the popular Campari, are more akin to spirits than they are to wine.

how sweet it is
The singular difference between aperitifs and digestifs is sweetness. It makes perfect sense, really. A syrupy or sweet drink that cloys the palate tends not to stimulate hunger. It can make for an ideal drink on a full stomach, however, although the best digestif cocktails -- as opposed to a pure digestif, such as a liqueur -- temper the level of sweetness and offer a nice balance.

Aperitifs are clean, crisp drinks that are best served cold, but without ice. Our North American penchant for ice in cocktails and drinks has an unfortunate cloudy effect on many fine aperitifs and contributes nothing to the overall flavor. Instead, chill an aperitif, as well as its glass.

can you feel that?

Taste and texture are important in both aperitifs and digestifs. Because of the conditions under which one consumes the former, a light, almost astringent character is ideal. Vermouth is the standard in this case. Digestifs and nightcaps, however, can afford a heavier composition in both departments and alcohol content in line with the tolerance level of a full stomach. Think cognac or herbal liqueurs such as sambuca or Chartreuse, and you're in the ballpark. While you can enjoy an aperitif or a digestif straight -- such as dry vermouth for the former and brandy, grappa or port for the latter -- cocktails that bear the signature of either are a great way to start or end a meal. Color has a part to play in the distinction between both. Many subscribe to the theory that white spirits (gin, vodka) are most suitable in aperitif cocktails (think martini), while brown spirits (brandy, scotch and dark rum) are best as digestifs. Don't start preparing your drinks just yet...

before you start drinking

There are some additional tips to be aware of when preparing a cocktail, either pre- or post-meal. The first tip has to do with ingredients. Stock your home bar with only the best, and use natural ingredients and colorants. The extra expense is worth it. For example, avoid sugar and fruit juice as sweeteners unless a recipe strictly calls for it. While the use of both is custom with mixed drinks such as a simple Screwdriver, cordials (maraschino) and liqueurs (Triple Sec) offer a more genuine taste and honesty to cocktails.

Good bitters (Angostura) and herbal liqueurs (Anisette) also accent cocktails like no other substitute. When appropriate, chill the cocktail and again, avoid ice unless

the recipe calls for it. Use good glassware, as it does enhance the experience from the standpoints of both presentation and taste.

whet that appetite

Here are some good aperitif cocktails to try on for size:

The Definitive Dry Martini

Ingredients: 2 oz gin oz dry vermouth

Contrary to the way James Bond likes it, stir the ingredients together and strain them into a cocktail glass. Add a lemon peel or fresh green olive as garnish. Some good variations are to add a dash of bitters or ounce of Triple Sec.

Vermouth Cocktail
Ingredients: 1 oz dry vermouth 1 oz sweet vermouth 1 dash orange bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Stupid Cupid
(Gregory Cartier variation) Ingredients: 2 oz vodka oz gin 1 dash orange bitters oz lemon juice

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Flame a lemon peel over top.

digest this...
Now for some good digestif cocktails to enjoy at the end of a meal:

The Classic Old-Fashioned Cocktail

Ingredients: 2 oz whisky 2 dashes bitters 1 tsp sugar Splash of soda 1 strip orange peel 1 strip lemon peel

Muddle the sugar and bitters together in an old-fashioned cocktail glass. Add some ice and the whisky. Stir and garnish with the orange and lemon peels.

French Connection
Ingredients: 1 oz cognac oz amaretto

Stir and serve in an old-fashioned cocktail glass. Flame an orange peel over it as garnish for a nice effect.

Santini's Pousse Caf

Ingredients: oz brandy

1 tbsp maraschino oz Triple Sec oz dark rum

Pour in order of recipe into a pousse caf glass (like a parfait glass with a square base).

Brandy Port
Ingredients: 1 oz brandy 1 oz tawny port 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp maraschino

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with orange slices.

or, keep it simple

If cocktails are not your cup of tea, then go European and classic with your aperitifs and digestifs. Choose Campari, Pernod or vermouth before dinner, and port, sherry, cognac, or scotch (perhaps with a fine cigar) while the meal digests. With choices like these, you can seldom go wrong. Cheers!

Acute effects of an alcoholic drink on food intake: aperitif versus co-ingestion.

Caton SJ, Bate L, Hetherington MM. Source
Department of Psychology, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK.

Abstract
To compare the effects on appetite and energy intake (EI) within a meal and across 4 days of drinking wine either before (aperitif) or with (co-ingestion) a meal, 11 men attended the laboratory on three occasions. On each occasion participants were given breakfast in the laboratory then 3 h later returned for a two course (garlic bread, pizza) lunch, then recorded food intake for the remainder of the day and the next 3 days. In the control condition, participants ate lunch ad libitum;

in the aperitif condition 375 ml of red wine was consumed 20 min before lunch; and in the coingestion condition 125 ml of red wine was consumed with the starter and 250 ml of red wine was consumed with the main course. Subjective ratings of appetite and mood were administered before and after the meal. EI at lunch was greater when wine was consumed (p<0.01) (aperitif: 6436+/-435 kJ; co-ingestion: 6254+/-417 kJ) compared to control (5125+/-262 kJ). In particular, intake of the starter was enhanced by wine consumption. Having wine as an aperitif significantly influenced subjective ratings of light headedness and fatigue. These results suggest that the effects of wine on appetite are immediate, and stimulate food intake early in the meal. Total EI during the test days was significantly higher than during subsequent days revealing a tendency to overeat in the laboratory, exacerbated by drinking wine before or with lunch. However, lean healthy men adjusted total EI on the days following the laboratory in all conditions.

Spirits: The Art of the Aperitif

B Y J I M N E LS ON

A nip of Dubonnet, a sip of Campari, a little Lillet--to understand the importance of the aperitif, an American writer looks to Europe.
Dinner in a Frenchman's house can be an unnerving experience for an American. For one thing, no one ever seems to be in a hurry to eat. Although you may be greeted with fabulous kisses and a warm double welcome--Bienvenue! Bienvenue!--you're likely to be seated in the parlor, without any food in sight. Your host will kindly ask after your health, nodding Bien! Bien! to whatever you answer. (A true Frenchman repeats everything.) Then you will be poured an aperitif. Your first thought--and perhaps your second and your third--will be: When are we sitting down to eat? Shouldn't this dinner get going? But then you take a sip of your aperitif. It is light and refraissant, as the French would say, distinct from anything you have been served back home. And you'll wonder, Why don't they pour drinks like this in America? (The answer is that they do, but not often enough.) Suddenly, you will be in the very palm of the Frenchman's hand. You will happily eat when he tells you to, drink what he tells you to, and it will all take place at exactly the right time. I am a recent convert to aperitifs and what I call the aperitif way of life--which is another way of saying I am no longer in any hurry to eat. In fact, if there were one habit I could import from Europe to America, it would be the custom of the aperitif. For those who have never indulged in this sort of drink, here are a few basics: An aperitif (the word comes from the Latin aperire, "to open") is a light, most often dry, most often modestly alcoholic beverage meant to spark the appetite without overwhelming the senses. And while an aperitif may be as simple as a glass of dry white wine or Champagne, a true aperitif, the kind that I love, has a little more flair, more flavor, more color and--yes--a bit more sophistication.

These are the aperitifs like Campari and Lillet, drinks that go (mostly) by one name and almost always are concocted from secret herbal recipes. CAMPARI Perhaps the most famous one-name aperitif of them all is Campari, the ruby red Italian drink whose recipe is guarded more carefully than the Vatican transcripts. In fact, its recipe has been a secret since 1860, when its creator, Gaspare Campari, first began bottling his product. But Campari didn't really take off until Gaspare's son Davide hired famous artists of the 1920s and '30s to make the now-legendary Campari ad posters. As for Campari itself, the drink is believed to contain rhubarb and ginseng, but I don't know for sure. What I do know is that Campari is very bitter, so bitter it's truly an acquired taste. But adding soda helps a great deal in the acquiring; in fact, a fair amount of chilled soda can open up Campari nicely, turning it into a more nuanced drink. (Ice is not necessary.) DUBONNET Although Dubonnet originated almost 150 years ago as a French aperitif, for the last half century, both the red and white versions we get in this country have been Americanmade--from California wine fortified with a touch of brandy. White Dubonnet is a dry white wine infused with herbs, while the red is sweet, flavored with spices and quinine. Although I'm generally a big fan of wine-based aperitifs, I have a little trouble with Dubonnet--it's a bit too syrupy to fit my ideal. LILLET And then there's Lillet. Another wine-based aperitif that also comes in red and white, Lillet is probably my favorite aperitif of all. (It was also a favorite of James Bond, who used to mix Lillet in his martini.) Made in a small town south of Bordeaux, Lillet tastes as swanky as it sounds. Perhaps it's the delicate combination of herbs, roots and fruits...but since the recipe is a secret, I'm not really sure. I prefer the rich, full-bodied white version, with its notes of candied orange and mint. (Classically, it is served with a twist of orange.) VERMOUTH Vermouth comes in both white (dry) and red (sweet) versions, and the bestknown vermouth producers are Italian (Martini & Rossi, Cinzano) and French (Noilly Prat). Both dry and sweet are wine-based, herb-infused drinks. Of the two, sweet vermouth is the more novel aperitif, at least in the States, where we tend to think of it strictly as a component in a Manhattan. But Europeans drink it before a meal, chilled or on the rocks. Perhaps one of the most unusual vermouths is the Punt e Mes, an Italian delicacy, whose name means "point and a half," in reference to the old Italian custom of adding bitters, measured in "points" to vermouth. AND THE REST There are many other aperitifs, of course. There is, for example, a whole world of anise-based drinks like Pernod and Ricard. But while I know plenty of people who swear by them, I find these aperitifs a little too potent and forward for a predinner refreshment. I tend to like more delicate drinks like sherry (particularly the lighter finos) and Pineau des Charentes (a fortified wine from the Cognac region of France).

All I know for certain is that the moment I taste the perfect aperitif--something light and refreshing--I just want to sit down for dinner with a Frenchman and follow his lead. I know we'll get to the meal eventually. But first, we'll work on our appetites. Jim Nelson is the assistant managing editor of GQ.

Apritifs and digestifs (/prtif/ and /distif/) are alcoholic drinks that are normally served before (apritif) or after (digestif) a meal.
Contents
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1 Apritifs 2 Digestifs 3 History 4 Types 5 See also 6 References

Apritifs[edit]
This section, except for one footnote, needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may bechallenged and removed. (May 2013) An apritif is an alcoholic beverage usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite, and is therefore usually dry rather than sweet. Common choices for an apritif are vermouth; champagne; gin; fino, amontillado or other styles of dry sherry (but not usually cream sherry, which is very sweet and rich); and any still, dry, light white wine. "Apritif" may also refer to a snack that precedes a meal. This includes an amuse-bouche, such [1][2] as crackers, cheese, pt or olives. "Apritif" is a French word derived from the Latin verb aperire, which means "to open."

Digestifs[edit]
A digestif is an alcoholic beverage served after a meal, in theory to aid digestion. When served after a coffee course, it may be called pousse-caf. Digestifs are usually taken straight. Common kinds of digestif include: Brandy (Cognac, Armagnac, alambric)

Eaux de vie (fruit brandies, Schnapps, Calvados) Pomace brandy (grappa)

Fortified wines (sherry (usually cream sherry), vermouth, port, and madeira) Liqueurs bitter or sweet (drambuie, amari, herbal liqueur, chartreuse, Grand Marnier, Irish Mist, Kahlua, limoncello) Distilled liquors (ouzo, tequila, whisky or akvavit) Liquor cocktails (Black Russian, Rusty Nail, etc.)

In certain areas it is not uncommon for a digestif to be taken before a main course. One example is the trou normand, a glass of Calvados taken before the main course of a meal. Bitter digestifs typically contain carminative herbs, which are thought to aid digestion.
[3]

In many countries, people drink alcoholic beverages at lunch and dinner. Studies have found that [4] when food is eaten before drinking alcohol, alcohol absorption is reduced and the rate at which alcohol is eliminated from the blood is increased. The mechanism for the faster alcohol elimination appears to be unrelated to the type of food. The likely mechanism is food-induced increases in [4] alcohol-metabolizing enzymes and liver blood flow.

History[edit]
This section, except for one footnote, needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2013) The apritif was introduced in 1846, when a French chemist, Joseph Dubonnet, created his eponymous wine-based drink as a means of delivering malaria-fighting quinine. The medicine was a bitter brew, so he developed a formula of herbs and spices to mask quinine's sharp flavor, and it worked so well that the recipe has remained well-guarded ever since. French Foreign Legionsoldiers made use of it in mosquito-infested Northern Africa. Joseph's wife was so fond of the drink that she had all her friends try it, and its popularity spread. Some say that the concept of drinking a small amount of alcohol before a meal dates back to [which?] the ancient Egyptians. Main records , however, show that the apritif first appeared in 1786 in Turin, Italy, when Antonio Benedetto Carpano invented vermouth in this city. In later years, vermouth was produced and sold by such well-known companies as Martini, Campari, Cinzano,Dolin and Noilly Prat.
[who?]

Five glasses of apritif with mixed nuts

Apritifs were already widespread in the 19th century in Italy, where they were being served in fashionable cafs in Rome, Genoa, Florence, Milan,Turin, and Venice. Apritifs became very popular in Europe in the late 19th century. The popularity in Europe crossed the Atlantic and by 1900, they were also commonly served in the United States. The apritif recrossed the Atlantic in the 1970s: the habit of a substantial food offering with the purchase of a drink during "Happy Hour" [5] in the United States pushed the development of a more food-heavy apritif in Italy as well. In Spain and in some countries of Latin America, apritifs have been a staple of tapas for centuries.

Types[edit]
There is no single alcoholic drink that is always served as an apritif. Fortified wine, liqueur, and dry champagne are probably the most common choices. Because it is served before dining, the emphasis is usually on dry rather than sweet, as a general guideline. In France, the apritif varies from region to region : pastis is popular in the south of France, Calvados brandy in the Normandy region, Crmant d'Alsace in the eastern region. Champagne wine or Cognac may also be served. Kir, also called Blanc-cassis , is a common and very popular apritif-cocktail made with a measure of crme de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) topped up with white wine. The word Kir Royal is used when white wine is replaced with a Champagne wine. A simple glass of red wine, such as Beaujolais nouveau, can also be presented as an apritif, accompanied by amuse-bouches. In Italy, the apritif is called aperitivo. Vermouth or wine may be served. Popular brands of vermouth and bitters are Martini & Rossi, Campari, Cinzano, Carpano and Barbieri. In Brescia, [disambiguation needed] Lombardy the pirlo is the most common aperitivo, in Venice veneziano , in Milan aperol spritz, in Padova spritz as well. In Greece, ouzo is a popular choice, except on Crete, where it is very common to take some raki after a meal. In the Eastern Mediterranean, arak is served with meze.

Whats the Difference Between a Digestif and an Apritif?

By Roxanne Webber, published on Friday, October 2, 2009 7 Comments Email

Digestif is the French term for booze that you drink after dinner, supposedly as an aid to digestion. Conversely, apritif is the French term for booze you drink before dinner, in order to stimulate your appetite. As to what is considered an apritif, CHOWs Juice columnist Jordan Mackay says that the term is used to refer to light predinner wine or cocktails, as well as the category of fortified, herb-infused wines and diluted spirits that includes stuff like vermouth. If you want to venture beyond a glass of wine before dinner, some good, easy apritifs include the Aperol Spritz, Lillet over ice with a lemon twist, and the Americano. In a study published in 2007, researchers at the Department of Psychology at Glasgow Caledonian University in the U.K. asked if drinking a glass of wine 20 minutes before dinner had any effect on appetite. While the serving size was on the large side (half a bottle!), the results suggest that consuming alcohol before a meal led people to eat more. (And anyone whos ever been caught stuffing his face with greasy hot wings at a bar will know that drinking seems to stimulate the appetite.) Digestifs have a broad definition, but they tend to be stronger than their appetite-whetting counterparts. They can be anything from straight Cognac or brandy to strong herb- or citrusinfused spirits like limoncello (see video below), and they are intended to be sipped slowly after a meal. You can make your own infused digestifs easily at home, in flavors like orange, fennel, and basil.

Do digestifs really help with digestion? Many medical studies (such as this, this, and this) show that alcohol, particularly consumed in large amounts, is not so hot for your digestive system, and can cause heartburn and diarrhea. So enjoy your digestif for what it is: a delicious glass of Cognac, not a curative.

The Difference Between An Aperitif And A Digestif . . .

is not merely the difference between a nightcap and drinking your breakfast although it may as well be. from what i can tell, traditionally an apritif is more likely a cocktail or a light wine, on the principle that you want something to want something to stimulate both your appetite and taste buds, thus not too sweet or alcoholic. a digestif, to be taken after the meal, is supposed to settle and satisfy, and so tends to include higher alcohol, often sweeter, drinks like port or cognac or herb infused, bitter or syrupy liqueurs. and not that you can count on this because it is a quality that arises from a delicate interplay of custom, affectation, and the inherent qualities of the drink itself but think of a digestif as something you intend to linger over, in a state of chymifying repose, as the name implies. this clearly is not hard and fast, however, since fortified wines are as often taken as apritifs as they are digestifs, and pastis is pretty common as an afternoon kind of drink, for example. i personally enjoy bitters pre-dinner because it feels like bitterness, like astringency, gets the juices flowing an prepares the ground (uh, the ground of the gut) for the forthcoming meal. thus it is not so much that certain boozes are one or the other, but are referred to as such on temporal as opposed to strictly qualitative grounds. that some drinks are traditionally in one class more than another may be taken as loosely instructive, but dont lose your cool over it. similarly, is there ever a bad time for a bloody mary?

Epicurean Concept of the Week Apritif and Digestif

by PAUL on Oct 15, 2009 2:30 am5 Comments

Know the difference between apritif and digestif? Know which one comes at what point in a meal? Ok, the picture above probably gives away the answer to the second question. Why do we have these drinks? Do they really work? An apritif is served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. Popular apritifs include, my personal favorite, Pastis, ouzo, vermouth, Campari, fortified wines, and other drinks. Apritifs are usually also served with a small snack such as cheese and olives. Studies have shown that drinking 20 minutes before a meal does seem to lead to more food consumption. Im curious to see if it actually makes the person more hungry or if it just lowers their inhibitions to eat more A digestif is taken after a meal. The thought here is that the drink will help to aid in digestion. Some digestifs contain bitters or carminative herbs which are believed traditionally to help one digest. Common digestifs include amari, bitters, port, grappa, sherry, etc. Theres no scientific research currently supporting the idea that digestifs settle the tummy. In my mind they make sense as you normally drink them neat (so theyre stronger drinks and therefore sipped slowly). The act of sitting calmly after a meal, slowly sipping a drink, and engaging in pleasant conversation will surely be better than staying with the wines and quickly leaving a restaurant and walking home or hopping in a taxi. So there you have it. Now you know which one comes at which point in the meal and some common types. Now get out there and research your favorite of each so you know what to order when at a fine dining establishment or fancy dinner party. Have a favorite pre or post-meal drink? Let us know in the comments.

Epicurean Concept of the Week AmuseBouche

by PAUL on Aug 24, 2009 10:52 am4 Comments

We here at Accidental Epicurean are looking at ways of expanding the reach of our site beyond Southeast Asia. As part of that mission were going to start doing a weekly series of epicurean conceptsthese could be words that youll find on a fine dining menu, boutique ingredients, dining etiquette, etc. (if theres something specific youd like addressed or something you learne d in a painful / embarrassing way and would like to spare others the embarrassment hit us up in the comments or via the contact page). Well start the series with one of my favorite dining terms Amuse-Bouche. An Amuse-Bouche literally means to amuse the mouth but Ive also heard it loosely translated as a perfect bite. An Amuse-Bouche isnt like an appetizer in that its sent out by the chef and not selected by the diner. You should be able to eat an Amuse-Bouche in one bite, but I have run across some that require a couple of bites some were so tasty I certainly didnt mind An amuse-bouche tells me a few things about a restaurant the moment it hits the table, regardless of taste. One, that the chef has fine dining aspirations as it seems an almost essential course for any Michelin starred restaurant. Two, that the chef is concerned with the tastes and journey the diner will go on during the course of the meal. By that I mean that the chef wants to give a special gift at the start of the meal to awaken the palate, showcase flavors, introduce ingredients, and / or all of the above. Lastly I can tell by looking at the amuse how inventive the chef is. I dont think that every amuse has to be a wildly creative concoction, but it should be flavorful, respect the ingredients, etc. If a chef cant handle a single bite, what are we in store for with a whole course? The amuse pictured up above is one of the tastiest things Ive ever had the pleasure of e ating. It was served to us at Omae Xex, the former Tokyo restaurant of Iron Chef Morimoto now turned over to his long-time sous chef Takeshi Omae. The amuse in question was a lovely beef tartar with eggplant andiberico ham served in a sort of waffle cone. Amazingly this bite edged out the insanely marbled Kobe steak that came out later in the meal. I would have happily dined on a meal of nothing but these wonderful cones of raw beef. Wed previously dined at another 1 Michelin star teppanyaki restaurant while in Tokyo and this amuse told us that though Omae Xex might have the same 1-star rating as the other restaurant, we were in for a whole other level of dining. Whats your favorite amuse-bouche or have you had one? Let us know in the comments. Paul

Ever been at a wine tasting, dinner party, or other event featuring wine and some know-it-all (probably with a beard and wearing a sweater) swirls his glass vigorously and then tilts the glass sideways to observe the streaking wine (wine legs)? Dont feel bad if you believed the explanation that followed explaining that this was a good wine because it had nice legs or some other nonesense. This is one of the most persistent wine myths around. Read the explanation of why wine has legs (or tears for our francophile readers) after the jump. The fact that a wine has more legs tells you absolutely nothing about the wines quality. Lets just make sure thats clear from the get go. This answer, from Wikipedia, is pretty thorough and explains the science behind what you see happening in the glass.

The effect is a consequence of the fact that alcohol has a lower surface tension than water. If alcohol is mixed with water inhomogeneously, a region with a lower concentration of alcohol will pull on the surrounding fluid more strongly than a region with a higher alcohol concentration.The result is that the liquid tends to flow away from regions with higher alcohol concentration. This can be easily and strikingly demonstrated by spreading a thin film of water on a smooth surface and then allowing a drop of alcohol to fall on the center of the film. The liquid will rush out of the region where the drop of alcohol fell. Wine is mostly a mixture of alcohol and water, with dissolved sugars, acids, colourants and flavourants. Where the surface of the wine meets the side of the glass, capillary action makes the liquid climb the side of the glass. As it does so, both alcohol and water evaporate from the rising film, but the alcohol evaporates faster, due to its higher vapor pressure and lower boiling point. This change in the composition of the film causes its surface tension to increase this in turn causes

more liquid to be drawn up from the bulk of the wine, which has a lower surface tension because of its higher alcohol content. The wine which moves up the side of the glass then forms droplets which fall back under their weight.
So there you go. Nothing at all to do with the quality of the wine. Feel free to stop the phenomenon and drive your point home if anyone doesnt believe you by covering the wine glass with a coaster or menu and watch the legs of the wine stop developing. Do keep swirling the wine, however, as this actually aerates the wine allowing you a better smell. The only question left is what to do with your newly acquired information? Do you speak up and put the know-it-all on the spot? Do you just let it go and say nothing with a smug smile on your face? Paul

Become A Closer: Learn How To Drink Digestifs

Sep 13, 2012 4:01 pm

Lesson one: Think beyond cognac BY SIMON FORD

0
2

+ ENLARGE
Green Chartreuse is one of serveral "bitter finishers" you can find on the market.

+ ENLARGE
Simon Ford gives advice on drinks to aid digestion, along with some sweet cocktail recipes.

You have just had a leisurely four-hour dinner with friends, and while the conversation and food have been fantastic, you find yourself terribly full. But you have had such a good time and don't want to go home just yet. Cue the digestif. This drink is best enjoyed away from the dining table. Find a comfortable seat and bring out your finest bottle of cognac (or something else), perhaps a cigar if everyone approves, sit back and let the boozy elixir course through your body like a welcome hug. The digestif was created for precisely what it sounds like to aid digestion. One key difference between aperitifs and digestifs is that while dry and bitter helps create an appetite, a little bit of sweetness helps end the meal.

Take the bartender-favorite brand of Fernet Branca, for example. It is an Italian amaro made of a secret blend of herbs and spices, many of which are known to aid digestion. It has a touch of sweetness and is one of those drinks that taste so much better after a heavy meal than before one; essentially I think it is your stomach saying, Thank you, I needed that before I headed to bed. Pairing with coffee or dessert is something else to consider when choosing an after-dinner drink, and sometimes a digestif can even replace dessert altogether. Port or sherry. You know those ones. Sipping on a vintage port or a rich oloroso or Pedro Ximnez sherry is a fine way to end the evening. For port, stick with the big names: Taylors, Sandeman or Warres. For sherry: Lustau Pedro Ximnez or Lustau Cream are a good place to start. Some other great digestif spirits to think about Calvados: Named after part of the Lower Normandy region of France, this apple brandy tastes every bit of distilled cider and is a perfect digestif for a cold evening. Coquerel VSOPis a nice floral light calvados with big flavors of green and yellow apples and is a great introduction to the category. It also mixes really well with apple cider, either hot or cold. Cognac and Armagnac: These are go-to after dinner drinks and fine French restaurants usually have a trolley filled with brandies ready for the moment the meal ends. Cognac is a grape-based brandy that comes from the Cognac region of France. It follows an evening of wine quite well and is a great traditional digestif: a luxurious spirit with relatively high levels of acidity. Treat yourself and start with a VSOP. Armagnac is Frances oldest spirit, having been around for over 700 years. It is also a grape based brandy and comes from the Armagnac region, comprising up to 10 different grape varietals and usually made in alembic stills. Pierre Ferrand 1840 Original Formula was reintroduced last year, this ancient cognac recipe recently won Best New Product at Tales of the Cocktail. It is a very floral and elegant cognac with a good balance between grape flavors and hints of oak with some nice warm winter spices on the finish. Although it is pricey, Reserve de Martell is still one of the best buys in cognac. It is full flavored and floral, has a similar age to the XOs and is made only with grapes from the Borderies region of Cognac. Cure the sugar craving Baileys Irish Cream was the digestif of choice in my home growing up. A coffee cream liqueur makes sense after dinner and ticks off two boxes: coffee and dessert. Galliano is a great Italian herbal liqueur that you may know as a key ingredient to the Harvey

Wallbanger, but it is also a great digestif and pairs well with coffee. I have always enjoyed ending my evening with a treat of Grand Marnier Cuve du Cent Cinquantenaire, a blend of old cognacs with the essence of orange. Go Italian You can always look to the Italians to follow a good eating or drinking ritual. Sambuca is anise and elderberry flavored, tastes excellent with coffee after dinner and is actually often served with coffee beans. Anyone who has ever dined with an Italian family may recall being given a glass of homemade grappa, which is an eau de vie made from fermented grape juice and pulp. While house-made grappa has quite a kick, there are some great brands on the market, such as Sarpa di Poli. Another great Italian tradition is the sweet but refreshing limoncello, which is a lemon liqueur made with lemon zest, sugar and neutral spirit. This drink is also often homemade, but there are plenty of brands available for purchase. Actor Danny DeVito launched one a few years back, and it is very good. Eau de vie An eau de vie is basically a fruit brandy. Other than grappa, there are plenty of hard-hitting ones from around the world. Try out Slivovitz, which is often found in the Balkans, or aquavit from Scandinavia. Naturally, any of the flavors made in France are also sure to do the trick. Some great bitter finishes Fernet Branca: Not for the faint hearted, this aromatic spirit hits you in the face with bitterness. There is some brief compensation of slight sweetness but the herbs and spices show in abundance. There is a strong presence of anise, some saffron and hints of mint. Green Chartreuse: Boasting a crazy color, it is the only spirit to have a color named after it. It is quite strong, features over 160 herbs and is made by monks that do not talk. Oh, it is also one of the most complex liqueurs that you will ever taste. Becherovka: This is the national spirit of the Czech Republic and has been around since 1807. It has winter spice flavors like cinnamon and anise with hints of pear and orange. Underberg: I could not write this piece without mentioning Underberg. My grandmother first gave me this German bitter as a child as a seasickness remedy when we would take rough boat trips to France. I started drinking it again recently after a trip to Prime Meats in Brooklyn and it has become my new favorite herbal digestif.

Digestif cocktails Milk punches, fizzes and flips all have their place in the digestif hour. Here are a few simple drinks you should keep in mind should you desire a cocktail after a big dinner. The Brandy Alexander 1 oz. Martell VSOP 1 oz. crme de cacao 1 oz. fresh cream Shake ingredients with cracked ice and strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Garnish with grated chocolate. The Grasshopper The Grasshopper is a personal guilty pleasure. It is basically an alcoholic chocolate mint. It was invented at the legendary and historic New Orleans bar Tujagues. 1 oz. crme de cacao 1 oz. crme de menthe 1 oz. fresh cream Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail coupe.

Some Call It Apritif, Others Aperitivo. But What The Hell Does It All Mean?
Sep 6, 2012 3:01 pm

There's a reason you should drink before dinner BY SIMON FORD

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Photo: Daniel Estremadoyro on Flickr

The champagne cocktail functions as a perfect apritif: dry, crisp and relatively low in alcohol.

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Our columnist Simon Ford discusses his love of pre-dinner drinking. Check back next week for digestifs!

The French call it apritif and the Italians, aperitivo. Roughly translated, the term means "to open" or "opener" and refers to an alcoholic beverage that is meant as an appetizer. This tradition is one that I am particularly fond of, as it sets the scene perfectly for dinner. Apritifs prepare diners for the delights that lie ahead and act as the perfect transition from the days stress to the evenings meal in the U.S. I think you call this period of time Happy Hour. Whatever you may call it, there are purposes to the pre-dinner drink. Plenty of different alcohols have become associated with this ritual for various reasons throughout the ages.

The primary reason to enjoy apritifs is to stimulate the appetite, and anything dry or bitter qualifies in this category. Amaros and bitters, vermouths and dry fortified wines, Fino sherries and aromatized wines such as Lillet are all very good for this purpose and can be served chilled, with a splash of soda or mixed into a good pre-dinner cocktail. Another explanation for the custom is to stimulate the palate with a dry drink in anticipation of eating something refreshing.Champagne is a particularly good apritif as it is dry, crisp and relatively low in alcohol, so it does not kill the palate. I first fell in love with aperitivos while in Turin, where coffee shops by day would transform into places to sip on amaros and eat pasties before heading to dinner. This routine became a pre-dinner social occasion for me that would both set the mood and get the gastric juices flowing for the hearty Italian meal that awaited. The tradition of imbibing before the evenings meal is said to have been born with the introduction of the very first vermouth, Campano, in Italy in 1786. In France, one could argue that absinthe and its fellow aniseflavored spirits such as pastis served a similar purpose until the introduction of French vermouth and the bitter apritif Dubonnet in 1846. Here are some recommendations of good fortified wines, amaros and cocktails that I would encourage as good introductions to the world of the apritif/aperitivo/pre-dinner cocktail: Champagne cocktail The champagne cocktail is a simple drink that consists of one sugar cube covered in angostura bitters that is placed into a flute and topped with chilled champagne. The sugar cube slowly dissolves the angostura into the champagne, combining dry and refreshing with the appetite-whetting bitters. Another worthy champagne cocktail is the French 75. It combines gin with fresh lemon and champagne, making a great palate cleanser. French 75 2 oz gin 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 oz simple syrup 4 oz chilled champagne Shake the gin, lemon and simple syrup with ice and strain into a flute, then top with the chilled champagne and garnish with a lemon zest.

Two of the best known and most popular aperitivo cocktails are the Negroni and The Americano. Both drinks combine vermouth and Campari, creating the perfect storm of bitterness. Another drink that accomplishes this flavor in a raw way is the Milano-Torino. Milano-Torino 2 oz Campari 2 oz Italian vermouth Splash of soda Build ingredients over fresh ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon slice. Some bitter recommendations: Amaro Nonino is a grape-based product that uses alpine ingredients such as cinchona, gentian root, rhubarb, tamarind, multiple kinds of orange peel, quassia wood, galenga, liquorice and saffron. Aperol is made of 16 botanicals including gentian, orange essence, rhubarb and cinchona, and has been in production since 1919. Dubonnet Rouge is a fortified wine flavored with herbs and spices including quinine, and has been made in France dating all the way back to 1846. La Gitana Manzanilla Sherry by Bodegas Hidalgo is a perfect dry sherry to start. Serve it chilled in a small wine flute. Lillet Blanc and Rose are blends of fortified Bordeaux wines with citrus liqueurs. The rose also adds a mixture of some red wines and berry fruits. Serve chilled. If you are still skeptical, a good dry martini or Manhattan always works too. Then again, when do these classics not work? Be sure to look out for my column next week about digestifs. A meal is bound to end at some point, but why should the drinking?

Serves 6

Ingredients
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250 g self-raising flour 125 g butter, really cold sea salt freshly ground black pepper

Method
Preheat your oven to 190C/375F/gas 5 Put your flour into a mixing bowl Using a coarse grater, grate your cold butter into the flour Add a pinch of salt and pepper Using your fingers, gently rub the butter into the flour until it begins to resemble breadcrumbs Add a splash of cold water to help bind it into a dough Divide the dough into 24 pieces and gently roll each into a round dumpling. The dumplings will suck up quite a bit of moisture so if your stew looks dry - add a cup of boiling water and give it a good stir Place the dumplings on top of your fully cooked stew and press down lightly so that they're half submerged Cook in the oven or on the hob over a medium heat with the lid on for 30 minutes Click here for the Beef and Ale stew recipe. The perfect ceramic mixing bowl for making dumplings From Jme

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uper Food Ideas Super Food Ideas - February 2006 , Page 58 Recipe by Kerrie Sun
Photography by Mark O'Meara

300g pork mince 4 green onions, chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1/4 cup bamboo shoots, chopped 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine 1/4 teaspoon white pepper 3/4 teaspoon sesame oil 30 fresh wonton wrappers 1cm piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 3 teaspoons white sugar 1 tablespoon coriander leaves, chopped Log in to add to My Shopping List

Ingredients

Method


1.

Notes

Step 1
Combine mince, onion, garlic, bamboo shoot, rice wine, white pepper and oil in a bowl. Season with salt.

2.

Step 2
Place 1 teaspoon mixture into centre of 1 wonton wrapper. Brush edges with water. Fold wonton over to make a triangle. Bring base corners of triangle together. Press firmly to join.

3.

Step 3
Line base of a large steamer basket with baking paper. Place dumplings, in a single layer, in basket. Pour water into a wok until one-quarter full. Bring to the boil over high heat. Place steamer over wok, ensuring base doesn't touch water. Steam dumplings for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender and cooked through.

4.

Step 4
Combine ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and coriander in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Serve with dumplings.