It's been a full week of dinner coverage here at The Kitchn. How about a little glass of something to round off the meal?
We've posted about apéritifs before, those appetite-stimulating lead-ins to an evening meal, but today we're going to be looking at the very last course in the alcoholic beverage menu: the digestif.
As the name might suggest, digestifs were originally believed to aid digestion. While apéritifs tend to be lighter in alcohol - something to stimulate the appetite but not numb the palate - digestifs are consumed on a full stomach and so tend to be on the stronger side. They are typically served neat (no ice) in small quantities and savored as a leisurely wind-down to a meal.
The possibilities are nearly endless, but here are some popular sipping choices:
Aged Spirits
Single-Malt Scotch
Aged Rum
Añejo (a premium aged tequila)
Cognac (a brandy from the Cognac region of France)
Armagnac (a brandy from the Armagnac region of France)
Bitters and Herbal-Flavored Liqueurs
Chartreuse (a French liqueur made with herbal extracts)
Bénédictine (a sweet herbal liqueur from France)
B & B (a.k.a. Bénédictine & Brandy - Bénédictine liqueur diluted with brandy)
Fernet-Branca (an extremely bitter Italian liqueur)
Digestif Cocktails
Old-Fashioned
Sazerac
Fortified Wines
Port (a fortified wine made in many regions of the world, but first originating from the Douro Valley of Portugal)
Sherry (a fortified wine from Jerez, Spain)
Marsala (a fortified wine from Marsala, Sicily)
Madeira (a fortified wine from the Madeira Islands of Portugal)
Sweet Dessert Liqueurs
Sambuca (an anise-flavored liqueur from Italy)
Amaretto (a sweet almond-flavored liqueur from Italy)
Do you have a favorite digestif?
Related: All About Apéritifs
Nora Maynard is a longtime home mixologist and an occasional instructor at NYC’s Astor Center. She is a contributor to The Business of Food: Encyclopedia of the Food and Drink Industries and is the recipient of the American Egg Board Fellowship in culinary writing at the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow. She previously covered food and drink in film at The Kitchn in her weekly column, The Celluloid Pantry.
(Image: Nora Maynard)
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Limencello and Arancello?
chocolate port! or Madeira mmmmm
I have some friends that are crazy about Grappa.
I'm more of a bitters drinker, Fernet is my favorite at the moment. I'm also a big fan of Cynar, though that may be considered an apéritif I tend to drink it after a meal.
But I am never without Underberg! After a big meal or a night of imbibing, nothing is better than a little single-serve bottle of Underberg.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underberg
Amaretto is a fabulous sipping liquor. Especially in the fall - it is sweet, but not too sweet and makes you feel all warm and cozy.
In the spring and summer I think I'd want something lighter and with fizz. Limoncello and soda perhaps? Or maybe just soda and lime. :)
I keep coming back to one of the fortified wines. Spend a few bucks and get the better stuff.
Sambuca in Fall/Winter, Limoncello in Spring/Summer.
mmm. fernet.
I love ports, especially tawnies, to round off my meal.
Nothing beats a sip of pear brandy from Clear Creek Distillery.
Pineau des Charentes -- served in France as an aperitif, but I think it can be enjoyed as sweet dessert wine. It's fabulous.
Patti - what flavors dominate in Pineau des Charentes?
FYI, "anejo" just means aged in Spanish. It therefore not only designates an aged tequila, but other aged things as well. For example, if you want an aged rum, as suggested as above, you may also want to look for one labeled "anejo."
Also, Vin Santo!
Ooh! Ooh! My faaaavorite after dinner drink is a port 'n brandy. Yes, a 1:1 ratio of port and brandy mixed together. Sounds odd, yes. But it's really good. And coming from a devout chocolate lover, I would easily take this drink instead of dessert. Try it. You'll like it!
Calvados: the traditional apple brandy digestif from Normandy to complement all that rich cuisine full of cream and the world's best butter!
Montenegro -it's an Italian amaro. My favourite restaurant always offers it, gratuit, at the end of a meal. I have it with an espresso: heaven!