Apertifs and Digestifs
APERITIFS & DIGESTIFS
The Aperitif and the Digestif are the most important aspects of your dinner party; they are the bookends to your meal. You won’t ruin the meal if you get these two wrong, but you will certainly enhance it when you get these two right!
Aperitifs 
An Aperitif is a light and predominantly dry beverage that is served before dinner with hors d’oeuvres, or any finger foods such as nuts, cheese, olives, etc. It is designed to encourage appetite and is perfect for bringing your dinner guests together before the meal.
Aperitif is the French term, but the word originates from the Latin aperire which means open, examples of ideal ‘openers’ for your meal would usually be light and acidic wines but can also be light spirits such as a Martini or fortified wines such as a Dry Sherry, it only really depends on personal taste and what food will be served with the aperitifs.
An aperitif should be light enough that it doesn’t interfere with your appetite and have a degree of freshness so as not to distract your palate. For me, the best choice for an aperitif is a chilled sparkling wine, so long as it is dry, you can’t go wrong.
Digestifs
A Digestif is, as the name might suggest is a beverage designed to aid digestion, and thus is served after your meal. Perfect for spirits and liqueurs, as you want a higher alcohol than with your aperitif, which is why Cognac, Calvados or a Single Malt are perfect examples, you could also go for heavier fortified wines such as Port, Sweet Sherry or Madeira. There are also a ton of lovely liqueurs you could choose from that could literally complement the entire meal if you select something that matches the last dish you served.
Digestifs do tend to be sweet, though this is not essential; all that is essential is that you have enough to go around the whole table at least once!
A well-chosen aperitif and digestif frame your entire evening, adding a touch of elegance and intention that your guests will remember long after the last glass is empty.
