stories:
Nagging Question
What’s the Difference Between a Digestif and an Apéritif?
If you speak French, the name says it all
Digestif is the French term for booze that you drink after dinner, supposedly as an aid to digestion. Conversely, apéritif is the French term for booze you drink before dinner, in order to stimulate your appetite.
As to what is considered an apéritif, CHOW’s 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 apéritifs 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 who’s 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 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) 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.
And then there's the "Trou Normand" (literally a Norman Hole) which consists of a small glass of Calvados before the main course.
One of the best digestifs of all time is/was UNICUM, the famed Hungarian bitter liqueur...sadly now available in the US apparently only in a watered down, sweetened up version for "American tastes" (or the lack thereof). Why do they do this?????
Na hat...Az apad bayusz!
Oh Professor, I am right behind you....we just moved back from 3 years living in Budapest. Unicum is as good as it gets! I'd compare it to Jagermeister without the sickly sweetness, and a lot more herbal flavor. Still going strong in Europe, in both original and the far inferior "Unicum Next" (which I venture is the sweeter, watered down version you are finding). Sadly, I'm guessing you'll have to get Unicum duty free on the way back from Hungary if you want the real deal!
De semmi gond, tanar ur...egesegedre!
A. Two hours.
John Talbott
http://johntalbottsparis.typepad.com/
I have to agree with the others about UNICUM being our favorite digestif. If any of you are lucky enough to be living or travelling in Ontario, Canada, original Unicum is still available at the Provincial liquor stores (LCBO).
I like a pommeau, calvados mixed with apple juice as an aperitif. Common served in Normandy but have had it in Paris.
I enjoying drinking Italian "Amari" - an amaro is the Italian version of Jaegermeister, although with a far more classy taste than that swill. In most Italian bars, you'll see a bottle of Montenegro, or Ramazotti... many regions or towns make their own blends, each with unique flavors.