If you’re not in the habit of drinking an aperitif before dinner, it’s a fun one to embrace every so often. Like skinny jeans, Rod Lavers, and shag rugs, aperitifs are retro without the kitch, like the two-martini lunch days of yore but less boozy.
As you’ve likely noticed of expats at Italian, French, or Greek restaurants around town, an aperitif is part of the every day dinner ritual for many Europeans. “How very continental of you,” a friend of cookbook writer Melissa Clark said when she sent out invitations to her aperitif party last summer. Another asked if there would be any drinks served: her proof that aperitifs still need an introduction every so often.
What’s an aperitif? Food and Wine writer Jim Nelson defines it as “a light, most often dry, most often modestly alcoholic beverage meant to spark the appetite without overwhelming the senses.” Yet plenty of people drink them simply because they like the ritual of a glass of champagne before dinner as a means to unwind from the day and anticipate a good meal.
Champagne, Prosecco, and certain wines may serve as an aperitif. Rather than direct you to something that’s already in your usual drink repertoire — meal or no, whatever time of night — why not sample something that’s new to you: Campari, Lillet, Dubonnet, Pernod, or Pastis, for example. Check out the suggestions below. And don’t forget to tell us about your favorites in the comments.
Dubonnet & Lillet
Taste: Wine based, bittersweet. Dubonnet is more syrupy than Lillet.
Image: 1950s swank.
Drink: Chilled, straight up, on the rocks or in the case of Lillet, in a martini, James Bond-style.
Order this at: The Round Robin Bar at the Willard, CityZen
Pastis & Pernod
Taste: Anise-flavored. If you’re looking for a buzz, Pastis packs the bigger punch.
Image: Barely legal. Or alternatively, New York’s Meatpacking District, circa 2002.
Drink: Chilled, straight up.
Order this at: Bistro du Coin, Citronelle
Campari
Taste: More bitter, less sweet.
Image: Art Deco.
Drink: Chilled, with soda, on the rocks.
Order this at: Sette, Dino
