Q: For the life of me, I cannot remember the appetizers that used to be served to accompany the aperitif of Campari and soda in Europe back in the day. The NYT recently did an article on the comeback of the aperitif, so I figure it is a good time to ask this question.
Sent by Greta
Editor: What a fun question, Greta! I think that this is one of those times when reading restaurant and bar menus can be helpful. Here's one that has some fantastic bar snacks (pickled eggs with celery salt, anyone?):
• Cocktails & Bar Snacks from The Warwick in London
Here's one other helpful piece, too:
• Pretzels no more: Lowly bar snacks get a haute makeover
I think olives, nuts, and pickles are always good bets — as well as tiny sandwiches. Readers, what else would you serve with Campari and soda and other aperitifs?
Related: Orange, Bitter, & Refreshing: 5 Classic Campari Cocktails
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gougeres are always a good bet.
i like the fact that here in europe, the aperitif never really went out of fashion! pizzette (miniature pizzas - like palm sized), mini arancini (rice balls), grissini (bread sticks) are often served in italy and in italian switzerland. in france, i've often had shrimp (but no foul cocktail sauce), mini soca, tapenade, and tartines (goat cheese and fig, etc). and obv, spain has all those small tapas dishes.
Stuffed, deep-fried queen olives. Cheese straws. Shrimp marinated in lemon, olive oil, fresh basil, and red peppers. Fried zucchini matchsticks. Hmm, maybe I'll have an appetizer party...
almost forgot -- the dutch bitterballen are AWESOME for heartier aperitif fare.
Well for me, aperitif is most always a wine, so I think the key is to keep the snack very, very simple: roasted seasoned nuts (cashews are always loved), cheeses, olives, marinated items (mushrooms, peppers, or tomatoes), toasts with olive oil for dipping. Nothing too heavy, as the 1st (appetizer) course is yet to come!
I usually had aperitifs with the smallest nibbles, which many people simply ignored. Little crackers, cheese straws, maybe some simple nuts, etc. If it was an especially fancy party there were gougeres, but usually the focus was on the drink and the conversation.
Traditionally, an aperitif is served by its solitary and glorious self, always before a meal. It is the first element in the dinner experience. One sits and converses while sipping.
Traditionally, a cocktail is served with food because it is not part-of-dinner. The cocktail party, the cocktail hour, happy hour -- all assume that the drinkers will go elsewhere for their meal. One stands and networks while fueling. (Note the careful absence of judgmentalism in these descriptions :-)
You may serve any beverage you wish for your event, but if the drink is a precursor to dinner, then hors d'oevres should be absent or tiny. If the drink is the party, then serve 10-20 bites of seasonally appropriate food per person per hour. Of course, you may wish to provide a small card explaining the cultural difference between an aperitif and the cocktail to your starving and confused guests!
http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/spirits-the-art-of-the-aperitif
http://www.atasteful-affair.com/party_planning.html
Thank you for answering my question; as usual, I also enjoyed the comments as well as the post. Cheers AT community!