Apéritif and digestif
Apéritifs and digestifs (pron.: /əˈpɛrɨtiːf/ and /diːʒɛˈstiːf/) are alcoholic drinks that are normally served before (aperitif) or after (digestif) a meal.
Apéritifs
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This section, except for one footnote, does not cite any references or sources. (December 2012) |
An apéritif (also spelled aperitif) 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 apéritif are vermouth; champagne; 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.
"Apéritif" may also refer to a snack that precedes a meal. This includes an amuse-bouche, such as crackers, cheese, pâté or olives.[1][2]
"Apéritif" is a French word derived from the Latin verb aperire, which means “to open.”
Digestifs
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This section, except for one footnote, does not cite any references or sources. (December 2012) |
A digestif is an alcoholic beverage served after a meal, in theory to aid digestion. If served in the middle of a meal, it is called a trou normand, and when served after a coffee course, it may be called pousse-café.
Digestifs are usually taken straight. Common kinds of digestif include brandy (Cognac, Armagnac, Calvados, alambric, etc.) eaux de vie (fruit brandies), a pomace brandy (like grappa), various bitter or sweet liqueurs (like Drambuie, amari, herbal liqueur, Chartreuse, Grand Marnier, Irish Mist, Kahlua or limoncello), and other distilled liquors (ouzo, tequila, whisky or akvavit), or a liquor cocktail, such as a Black Russian (Kahlua and vodka) or a Rusty Nail (Scotch and Drambuie).
Bitter digestifs typically contain carminative herbs, which are thought to aid digestion.[3]
Some fortified wines are served as digestifs — for example, sherry (usually cream sherry), vermouth, port, and madeira.
In many countries, people drink alcoholic beverages at lunch and dinner. Studies have found that when food is eaten before drinking alcohol, alcohol absorption is reduced[4] 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 alcohol-metabolizing enzymes and liver blood flow.[4]
History
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This section, except for one footnote, does not cite any references or sources. (December 2012) |
The apéritif 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 Legion soldiers 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[who?] that the concept of drinking a small amount of alcohol before a meal dates back to the ancient Egyptians. Main records[which?], however, show that the apéritif 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.
Apéritifs were already widespread in the 19th century in Italy, where they were being served in fashionable cafés in Rome, Genoa, Florence, Milan, Turin, and Venice. Apéritifs 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 apéritif recrossed the Atlantic in the 1970s: the habit of a substantial food offering with the purchase of a drink during "Happy Hour" in the United States pushed the development of a more food-heavy apéritif in Italy as well.[5] In Spain and in some countries of Latin America, apéritifs have been a staple of tapas for centuries.
Types
There is no single alcoholic drink that is always served as an apéritif. 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 apéritif varies from region to region : pastis is popular in the south of France, Calvados brandy in the Normandy region, Crémant 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 apéritif-cocktail made with a measure of crème 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 apéritif, accompanied by amuse-bouches.
- In Italy, the apéritif is called aperitivo. Vermouth or amaro may be served. Popular brands of bitters are Byrrh, Campari, Cinzano, Salers and Suze. In Brescia, Lombardy the pirlo is the most common aperitivo.
- In Greece, ouzo is a popular choice.
- In the Eastern Mediterranean, arak is served with meze.
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References
- ^ Lichine, Alexis. Alexis Lichine’s New Encyclopedia of Wines & Spirits (5th edition) (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1987), 75.
- ^ Robinson, Jancis. The Oxford Companion to Wine (3rd edition) (Oxford University Press: 2006), 26.
- ^ Walton, Stuart; Miller (2002). Spirits & Liqueurs Cookbook. New York: Hermes House. pp. 16–17. ISBN 1-84309-498-3.
- ^ a b Ramchandani, V.A.; Kwo, P.Y.; Li, T-K. (2001). "Effect of Food and Food Composition on Alcohol Elimination Rates in Healthy Men and Women". Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 41 (12): 1345–50. doi:10.1177/00912700122012814. PMID 11762562.
- ^ "The History of the Aperitivo".
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