Aperitifs & Dumplings

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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 thanmere purveyors of cocktails is at an all-time high. As a result, sophistication is frontand 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 comesto the two. An aperitif, from the Latin aperire, or "to open," enhances the appetitebefore 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 tasteusually dictating what we drink, aperitifs and digestifs are what they are for somevery 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 emptystomach. Thus, brandy and Scotch whisky do not fit the mold of an aperitif. Withfew exceptions, the best aperitifs are between 16% and 24% alcohol (32 to 48proof). They are often wine derivatives that producers fortify and flavor, althoughsome, 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 makesperfect sense, really. A syrupy or sweet drink that cloys the palate tends not tostimulate 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 aliqueur -- temper the level of sweetness and offer a nice balance.
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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 effecton many fine aperitifs and contributes nothing to the overall flavor. Instead, chill anaperitif, as well as its glass .

can you feel that?

Taste and texture are important in both aperitifs and digestifs. Because of theconditions under which one consumes the former, a light, almost astringentcharacter is ideal. Vermouth is the standard in this case.

Digestifs and nightcaps, however, can afford a heavier composition in bothdepartments 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 theformer and brandy, grappa or port for the latter -- cocktails that bear the signatureof 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 thetheory that white spirits (gin, vodka) are most suitable in aperitif cocktails (thinkmartini), 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 thebest, 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. Whilethe 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 tococktails.

Good bitters (Angostura) and herbal liqueurs (Anisette) also accent cocktails likeno other substitute. When appropriate, chill the cocktail and again, avoid ice unless
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the recipe calls for it. Use good glassware , as it does enhance the experiencefrom 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 strainthem into a cocktail glass. Add a lemon peel or fresh green olive as garnish. Somegood variations are to add a dash of bitters or ounce of Triple Sec.

Vermouth Cocktail Ingredients:1 oz dry vermouth1 oz sweet vermouth1 dash orange bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Stupid Cupid (Gregory Cartier variation)Ingredients:2 oz vodka oz gin1 dash orange bitters oz lemon juice
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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 whisky2 dashes bitters

1 tsp sugar Splash of soda1 strip orange peel1 strip lemon peel

Muddle the sugar and bitters together in an old-fashioned cocktail glass. Add someice 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 asgarnish for a nice effect.

Santini's Pousse Caf

Ingredients: oz brandy


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1 tbsp maraschino oz Triple Secoz 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 brandy1 oz tawny port 1 tbsp lemon juice1 tbsp maraschino

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

or, keep it simple

If cocktails are not your cup of tea, then go European and classic with your aperitifs anddigestifs. 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 canseldom 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.

AbstractTo 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 laboratoryon three occasions. On each occasion participants were given breakfast in the laboratory then 3 hlater returned for a two course (garlic bread, pizza) lunch, then recorded food intake for theremainder of the day and the next 3 days. In the control condition, participants ate lunch ad libitum;
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in the aperitif condition 375 ml of red wine was consumed 20 min before lunch; and in the co-ingestion condition 125 ml of red wine was consumed with the starter and 250 ml of red wine wasconsumed with the main course. Subjective ratings of appetite and mood were administered beforeand after the meal. EI at lunch was greater when wine was consumed (p


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These are the aperitifs like Campari and Lillet, drinks that go (mostly) by one name and almostalways are concocted from secret herbal recipes.

CAMPARI Perhaps the most famous one-name aperitif of them all is Campari, the ruby redItalian 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 hisproduct. 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 forsure. What I do know is that Campari is very bitter, so bitter it's truly an acquired taste. Butadding soda helps a great deal in the acquiring; in fact, a fair amount of chilled soda can openup 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 thelast half century, both the red and white versions we get in this country have been American-

made--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'mgenerally a big fan of wine-based aperitifs, I have a little trouble with Dubonnet--it's a bit toosyrupy 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 tomix Lillet in his martini.) Made in a small town south of Bordeaux, Lillet tastes as swanky as itsounds. Perhaps it's the delicate combination of herbs, roots and fruits...but since the recipe isa 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 best-known 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 themore novel aperitif, at least in the States, where we tend to think of it strictly as a component ina Manhattan. But Europeans drink it before a meal, chilled or on the rocks. Perhaps one of themost unusual vermouths is the Punt e Mes, an Italian delicacy, whose name means "point and ahalf," 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 whoswear 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 desCharentes (a fortified wine from the Cognac region of France).


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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 isthe 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 thatwhen food is eaten before drinking alcohol, alcohol absorption is reduced [4] and the rate at whichalcohol is eliminated from the blood is increased. The mechanism for the faster alcohol eliminationappears to be unrelated to the type of food. The likely mechanism is food-induced increases inalcohol-metabolizing enzymes and liver blood flow . [4]

History [edit ]

This section, except for one footnote, needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations toreliable sources . Unsourced material maybe challenged and removed . (May 2013)

The apritif was introduced in 1846, when a French chemist, Joseph Dubonnet , created hiseponymous 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 itworked so well that the recipe has remained well-guarded ever since. French ForeignLegion s oldiers made use of it in mosquito -infested Northern Africa . Joseph's wife was so fond of thedrink 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 tothe ancient Egyptians . Main records [which? ], however, show that the apritif first appeared in 1786in Turin , Italy, when Antonio Benedetto Carpano invented vermouth in this city. In later years,vermouth was produced and sold by such well-known companiesas Martini , Campari , Cinzano ,Dolin and Noilly Prat .
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10/27

Five glasses of apritif with mixed nuts

Apritifs were already widespread in the 19th century in Italy , where they were being served infashionable 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 by1900, they were also commonly served in the United States. The apritif recrossed the Atlantic inthe 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 apritif in Italy as well . [5] InSpain 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 drychampagne are probably the most common choices. Because it is served before dining, theemphasis 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 easternregion. Champagne wine or Cognac may also be served. Kir , also called Blanc-cassis , is acommon and very popular apritif-cocktail made with a measure of crme decassis (blackcurrant liqueur) topped up with white wine . The word Kir Royal is used when whitewine is replaced with a Champagne wine. A simple glass of red wine, such as Beaujolaisnouveau , 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,

Lombardy the pirlo is the most common aperitivo , in Venice veneziano[disambiguation needed ]

, inMilan aperol spritz , in Padova spritz as well.

In Greece, ouzo is a popular choice, except on Crete, where it is very common to takesome raki after a meal.

In the Eastern Mediterranean , arak is served with meze .

Whats the Difference Between aDigestif and an Apritif?
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11/27

By Roxanne Webber , published on Friday, October 2, 2009

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Digestif is the French term for booze that you drink after dinner, supposedly as an aid todigestion. Conversely, apritif is the French term for booze you drink before dinner, in order tostimulate your appetite.

As to what is considered an apritif, CHOWs Juice columnist Jordan Mackay says that theterm 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 venturebeyond a glass of wine before dinner, some good, easy apritifs include the Aperol Spritz , Lilletover ice with a lemon twist, and the Americano .

In a study published in 2007, researchers at the Department of Psychology at GlasgowCaledonian 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!), theresults suggest that consuming alcohol before a meal led people to eat more. (And anyonewhos ever been caught stuffing his face with greasy hot wings at a bar will know that drinkingseems to stimulate the appetite.)

Digestifs have a broad definition, but they tend to be stronger than their appetite-whettingcounterparts. They can be anything from straight Cognac or brandy to strong herb- or citrus-infused 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 ) showthat 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.
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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 sweetor alcoholic.

a digestif , to be taken after the meal, is supposed to settle and satisfy, and so tends to include higheralcohol, often sweeter, drinks like port or cognac or herb infused, bitter or syrupy liqueurs. and notthat 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 intendto 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 theground (uh, the ground of the gut) for the forthcoming meal. thus it is not so much that certain boozesare one or the othe r, 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 am 5 Comments
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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 havethese drinks? Do they really work?

An apritif is served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. Popular apritifs include, my personalfavorite, Pastis, ouzo, vermouth, Campari, fortified wines, and other drinks. Apritifs are usually alsoserved 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 foodconsumption. 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. Somedigestifs 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 mymind they make sense as you normally drink them neat (so theyre stronger drinks and thereforesipped slowly). The act of sitting calmly after a meal, slowly sipping a drink, and engaging inpleasant conversation will surely be better than staying with the wines and quickly leaving arestaurant 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 somecommon types. Now get out there and research your favorite of each so you know what to orderwhen at a fine dining establishment or fancy dinner party.

Have a favorite pre or post-meal drink? Let us know in the comments.
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Epicurean Concept of the Week Amuse -Bouche by PAUL on Aug 24, 2009 10:52 am 4 Comments
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We here at Accidental Epicurean are looking at ways of expanding the reach of our site beyondSoutheast Asia. As part of that mission were going to start doing a weekly series of epicureanconceptsthese could be words that youll find on a fine dining menu, boutique ingredients, diningetiquette, etc. (if theres something specific youd like addressed or something you learne d in apainful / embarrassing way and would like to spare others the embarrassment hit us up in thecomments 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 asa perfect bite. An Amuse- Bouche isnt like an appetizer in that its sent out by the chef and notselected by the diner.

You should be able to eat an Amuse-Bouche in one bite, but I have run across some that require acouple 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, regardlessof 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 thediner will go on during the course of the meal. By that I mean that the chef wants to give a specialgift at the start of the meal to awaken the palate, showcase flavors, introduce ingredients, and / orall of the above. Lastly I can tell by looking at the amuse how inventive the chef is. I dont think thatevery amuse has to be a wildly creative concoction, but it should be flavorful, respect theingredients, 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. Itwas served to us at Omae Xex , the former Tokyo restaurant of Iron Chef Morimoto now turned overto his long-time sous chef Takeshi Omae. The amuse in question was a lovely beef tartar witheggplant an diberico ham served in a sort of waffle cone. Amazingly this bite edged out the insanelymarbled Kobe steak that came out later in the meal. I would have happily dined on a meal ofnothing 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 thesame 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
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16/27

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 justmake 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 surfacetension than water . If alcohol is mixed with water inhomogeneously, a region wi th a lower con cent ra t ion of a lcoho l wi l l pul l on the surroun ding f lu id m ore s t rong ly than a region wi th a h igher alcohol co ncent ra t ion . The result is that the liquid tends to flow away from regions with higher alcohol concentration. Thiscan 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 theglass, 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 evaporatesfaster, due to its higher vapor pressure and lower boiling point . This change in thecomposition of the film causes its surface tension to increase this in turn causes
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more liquid to be drawn up from the bulk of the wine, which has a lower surfacetension 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 coasteror 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 DigestifsSep 13, 2012 4:01 pm

Lesson one: Think beyond cognac

BY SIMON FORD

0 2
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+ 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 andfood have been fantastic, you find yourself terribly full. But you have had such a good timeand 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 bringout 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 anappetite , a little bit of sweetness helps end the meal.
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Take the bartender-favorite brand of Fernet Branca , for example. It is an Italian amaromade of a secret blend of herbs and spices, many of which are known to aid digestion. Ithas 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, Than k 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 dessertaltogether.

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 theevening. 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 aboutCalvados : 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

VSOP is a nice floral light calvados with big flavors of green and yellow apples and is agreat introduction to the category. It also mixes really well with apple cider, either hot orcold.

Cognac and Armagnac : These are go-to after dinner drinks and fine French restaurantsusually 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 highlevels 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 inalembic stills. Pierre Ferrand 1840 Original Formula was reintroduced last year, thisancient cognac re cipe 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 withsome 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 andis 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 creamliqueur makes sense after dinner and ticks off two boxes: coffee and dessert. Galliano is agreat Italian herbal liqueur that you may know as a key ingredient to the Harvey
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Wallbanger, but it is also a great digestif and pairs well with coffee. I have always enjoyedending my evening with a treat of Grand Marnier Cuve du Cent Cinquantenaire, a blendof 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 isanise and elderberry flavored, tastes excellent with coffee after dinner and is actually oftenserved 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 fermentedgrape 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 butrefreshing limoncello, which is a lemon liqueur made with lemon zest, sugar and neutralspirit. 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-hittingones from around the world. Try out Slivovitz, which is often found in the Balkans, oraquavit from Scandinavia. Naturally, any of the flavors made in France are also sure to dothe 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 spicesshow 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 afterit. It is quite strong, features over 160 herbs and is made by monks that do not talk. Oh, itis 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 since1807. 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 grandmotherfirst gave me this German bitter as a child as a seasickness remedy when we would takerough boat trips to France. I started drinking it again recently after a trip to Prime Meats inBrooklyn and it has become my new favorite herbal digestif.
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Digestif cocktails Milk punches, fizzes and flips all have their place in the digestif hour. Here are a few simpledrinks you should keep in mind should you desire a cocktail after a big dinner.

The Brandy Alexander 1 oz. Martell VSOP1 oz. crme de cacao1 oz. fresh cream

Shake ingredients with cracked ice and strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Garnish withgrated chocolate.

The GrasshopperThe 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 cacao1 oz. crme de menthe1 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

0 0
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+ ENLARGE

Photo: Daniel Estremadoyro on Flickr

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

+ ENLARGE

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 transitionfrom 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 differentalcohols have become associated with this ritual for various reasons throughout the ages.
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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 inanticipation of eating something refreshing .Champagne is a particularly good apritif as itis 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 transforminto places to sip on amaros and eat pasties before heading to dinner. This routine becamea pre-dinner social occasion for me that would both set the mood and get the gastric juicesflowing 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 anise-flavored 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 wouldencourage 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 inangostura bitters that is placed into a flute and topped with chilled champagne. The sugarcube 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 andchampagne, making a great palate cleanser.

French 75 2 oz gin1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice1/2 oz simple syrup4 oz chilled champagne

Shake the gin, lemon and simple syrup with ice and strain into a flute, then top with thechilled champagne and garnish with a lemon zest.
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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 Campari2 oz Italian vermouthSplash 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. Therose 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 aboutdigestifs. A meal is bound to end at some point, but why should the drinking?

Serves 6

IngredientsBUY INGREDIENTS AT
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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 itbegins 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

0:15 To Prep

0:15 To Cook

13 INGREDIENTS

EASY DIFFICULTY

30 MAKES

4AVG RATING(12 Members)

Rate thisrecipe To mycookbook
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uper Food IdeasSuper Food Ideas - February 2006 , Page 58Recipe by Kerrie Sun

Photography by Mark O'Meara

Ingredients 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

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Method
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Notes1. 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.

Aperitifs & Dumplings

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