Having people over for dinner entails more than just providing a meal and somewhere to eat it. It's a whole experience, from the invite to the last goodbye at the door. A subtle but important consideration is setting the overall tone for the evening and nothing does that like the pre-dinner beverage. These days I'm a fan of offering a simple aperitif before dinner which strikes a nice balance between simplicity and elegance.
So, what is an aperitif and how does it differ from a cocktail?
Basically, an aperitif is a simpler, less alcoholic cocktail. It can even be a glass of wine or champagne. Our Straight Up Columnist Nora Maynard wrote about the aperitif here a few years ago:
Apéritif is a French word, which, like its Italian counterpart, aperitivo, comes from the Latin aperire, meaning "to open." An important part of France's, Italy's, and other European countries' dining traditions, aperitifs are alcoholic beverages sipped as appetite-stimulating lead-ins to a meal. (Think of them as the appetizers in the alcohol menu.)Usually weighing in somewhere between 16 and 25 percent alcohol (compared to the 40-50+ percent found in spirits such as whiskey, gin, and vodka), aperitifs are meant to open up the palate, not sedate or overwhelm it. (For this reason, overly sweet drinks are also avoided for this beverage course, but are saved for after the meal, as "digestifs"). An aperitif should be crisp, clean, and light.
For me the aperitif's main advantage is in keeping it simple. I often host dinner parties solo, so I'm not always available to pour complicated cocktails while simultaneously attending to the meal in the kitchen. It also keeps the evening more affordable as I don't have to stock a bar. And as Nora mentions, the lower alcohol content opens, rather than dulls, the palate, making it a perfect pre-dinner beverage.
But my favorite reason for serving an aperitif goes back to my original statement about tone. A simple but well thought out aperitif such as a glass of good dry sherry served with some toasted almonds hints at the paella dinner to come. In the summer, a Lillet over ice or a slightly chilled rose cools and refreshes before a casual meal. Champagne served with gougeres speaks of an elegant evening ahead.
I usually also have some beer and a nonalcoholic beverage to round out my pre-dinner offerings as it's possible that not everyone will appreciate my choice of aperitif. But mostly I've found that people are quick to jump on board with this singular offering and enjoy it as a light, crisp, refreshing prelude to a wonderful evening ahead.
More on the aperitif from The Kitchn:
• All About Apertifs
• Kir and Kir Royale
• Love Campari? It's Time to Try Gran Classico
• Winter Apéritif Recipe: Port and Tonic
(Image: Nora Maynard)
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One word: Cynar. When the bartender at an Italian restaurant doesn't know what it is, I'm already certain I won't be back for a 2nd meal.
A new favorite from this past summer is Aperol -- a tad lighter, more citrusey than Campari -- give it a try.
Mid-C Frank - I've got a bottle of Cynar, but do not know what to do with it - do tell! I'd love a great apéritif recipe using that weird ingredient!
Very simple -- just mix with soda, and add a slice of lime. Roughly 1/3 Cynar and 2/3 soda -- but adjust proportions to your own taste.
Does anyone have any ideas for dinner party drinks for non-drinkers? The norm where I live in SC is to offer sweet tea for any and all gatherings, but I quit drinking sugary drinks awhile back and would love something that's festive/non-alcoholic and not completely sugary. Anyone have any thoughts?
Meg Green - I also don't drink and have come up with some nice drinks for my friends when I host dinners (I leave alcoholic offerings up to my boyfriend). Soda water, simple syrup, fresh mint and lemon wedges make a nice drink, you can vary the amount of simple syrup to your own taste. This general plan works with any combination of fruits and/or herbs you might like to use, in the winter simmering cinnamon, cloves, or cardamom in the simple syrup would work well. You can also swap fruit juices for the simple syrup.
If you want to go even less sweet cucumber water is good, just water, sliced cucumber and a little lemon or lime juice if you want. Unsweetened or lightly sweetened iced herbal teas are an alternative for the sweet tea lovers, especially if you kick them up a bit with something like cardamom or fresh ginger.
NOADI- Thanks so much. I love these ideas! I'm definitely going to try them!
My french relatives tend to have vermouth as an aperitif. My uncle likes Martini brand red vermouth, while my aunt drinks the Martini brand rosé vermouth. Both are totally delicious. It's funny because I don't usually see folks in the US drinking the vermouths on their own, but they are just great!