Aperitifs & Digestifs

Want to know the difference?

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Aperitifs & Digestifs
By Gregory Cartier Lifestyle Correspondent - Every 2nd Friday

Appreciation for quality food and drink is more pervasive than ever. Nostalgia for an era when gentlemen had taste and bartenders were alchemists rather than mere purveyors of cocktails is in. As a result, sophistication is back. Enter the aperitif and digestif 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 being the dictator in 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 a spirit than a wine.

how sweet it is

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

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

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.

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