National Apéritif Day occurs on the 3rd Thursday of every May, a day to appreciate appetite stimulating libations served before a meal. We like to think of this holiday as a tribute to a proper dinner party! But is an apéritif and how does it differ from a digestif? We explore these libations in this newsletter.
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Apéritifs are a refreshing alcoholic beverage served before a large meal or dinner party. 'Apéritif' is a French term, with Latin origins from the word 'aperire' which means 'to open, or uncover'. Apéritifs are meant to heighten your appetite and excite your palate, priming it for a complex or fatty meal. Common examples of apéritifs include sparkling wine, vermouth, aromatized wines, and dry sherry. You can also prepare a cocktail as an apéritif, such as a Gin & Tonic, Manhattan or a Spritz. At the end of your apéritif, your guests should be serene and ready for a fantastic dinner experience. |
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Because apéritifs can be served with, or without, food — you can have a lot of fun with your selections. Some of our favorites include the Bizzarro Apéritivo (a bitter Australian Apertivo flavored with citrus, rhubarb & gentian root), Lillet Blanc (an iconic aromatized French apéritif), Forthave Spirits Red Aperitivo (a bittersweet aperitivo flavored with chamomile, rose & orange), Salers Gentiane Apéritif (the oldest Gentiane Liqueur producing distillery), I.N. Mattei Cap Corse Quinquina Blanc (a Corsican apéritif with florality, minerality & a silky texture), and the Manuel Aragon Fino Granero Sherry (dry with notes of sea spray, almonds, chamomile & herbs).
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Apéritifs VS Digestifs - What Is The Difference?
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Where an apéritif serves to excite your appetite, a digestif serves to stimulate digestion and is served after a meal. Digestifs will typically be sweeter and higher in alcohol than an apéritif, meant to settle down your body after dinner. Typically digestifs are bitter, herbal, complex and meant to be sipped slowly. Common digestifs include: Amari, bitters, ports, cream sherry, sweet liqueurs, dessert cocktails, and sipping spirits such as Brandy or Cognac. The digestif marks the end of a meal, and is a delicious way to wind down and settle your stomach. |
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Digestifs are typically served once the food pairings have concluded, so you can take creative control in your selections — stress free! Some of our favorite ways to mark the end of a meal include: Fred Jerbis Amaro (a drier herbaceous Italian liqueur flavored from 16 botanicals), Valdespino Brandy De Jerez (brandy from a 30-year-old Solera system, made by an iconic Spanish sherry producer, aged in used Fino & Amontillado casks), Fernet-Vallet Apertivo (an herbal & woody Mexican fernet), and L'Herboriste Coiron Jaune (a French herbal liqueur similar to yellow Chartreuse).
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Cocktail of the Week: Brazilian Mojito
This drink is also known as a Mint Caipirinha. Caipirinha uses Cachaça, muddled lime wedges and simple syrup. We are doing the same thing here; we are just adding mint leaves. I love mint in almost everything this time of year.
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INGREDIENTS
2oz Ypioca Cachaça
3 lime wedges
1oz Simple Syrup
10 mint leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
Add lime wedges into a shaker and muddle, add all other ingredients and shake, dump entire ingredients into a glass and enjoy.
Cheers,
Nikola
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Friday Tasting Table
Friday, 05/19/23, 4 - 8 p.m.
Join Pat of Bourget Imports for a FREE wine tasting this Friday!
Get 10% off any of the wines you taste.
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FREE POP UP
Tasting Table
Thursday, 05/25/23, 5 - 7:30 p.m.
Join Diego Corradi, Global Sales Manager for Pra, and taste the wines of benchmark Soave & Valpolicella producer : Pra. This is a pop-up you don't want to miss, so mark your calendar!
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6oz Pour
Wine Education Classes
The Crus of Beaujolais, with special guest Paul Hennessy!
Thursday, June 8
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., $60
Beaujolais is one of the most exciting wine regions in France, and there's good reason for it. The wines are delicious, nuanced, terroir expressive, and perhaps more importantly, they usually won't break the bank. To help us navigate the world of Beaujolais, I'll be joined by Sommelier extraordinaire Paul Hennessy, formerly of Bachelor Farmer and currently running the beverage program at Mara in the Four Seasons. This tasting will be a blast as we investigate the region and converse with a pro about this wonderful wine's place at the dinner table.
Reserve your seats on Tock
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Staff Picks - What to Drink this Week
Try these special, staff-selected libations!
2021 Fernand & Fils Coteaux du Giennois Sauvignon Blanc - $23.99
As Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre becomes more expensive, I'm always on the hunt for wines that deliver a lot of bang for the buck. The Coteaux du Giennois is a mere stone's throw from Sancerre in the Loire. The Silex soil provides a lovely minerality with notes of stone fruit, melon and quince on the palate at a fraction of the price of its neighbors just across the river, all from a fourth generation family who farms their land organically. Bring on the goat cheese and veggie dishes!
-Angie
2021 Jean-Francois Merieau 'Bois Jacou' Gamay - $21.99
Jean-Francois Merieau makes some of the most quaffable, delicious wines from Touraine in the Loire Valley in France. He farms organically and hand harvests the grapes and allows natural fermentation. His Gamay is one of my favorite summer reds offering fresh ripe red fruit balanced with lively acidity. The nose shows aromas of red cherry and baking spice and the medium bodied palate delivers raspberry fruit and mineral with a slight note of white pepper. Give this wine a slight chill and enjoy its own or with grilled steak frites.
-Rob
2021 Domaine Douloufakis 'Dafnios' Vidiano, Crete - $21.99
One of my biggest pleasures with wine is discovering and enjoying wine regions and grape varietals new to me from across the globe. Ancient varietals still being nurtured by small family grower/producers in Europe is of particular interest to me. The wine takes me on a journey. It takes me back in time. I'm imbibing history. I'm drinking in a certain place I dream of exploring. This wine is like a mini trip to Crete in a glass. From the Douloufakis family comes this wine made from the indigenous white varietal, Vidiano. About 10 miles inland from Crete's capital city of Heraklion, the grape flourishes in their vineyard, planted in limestone soils, at an elevation of 1,000 feet in the D.O. of Dafnes. Organic viniculture and the absence of any oak in fermentation and aging ensures that this wine is fresh, refreshing, and truly of a "particular place". Aromas of lychee, melon, white flowers, and pear greet your senses as citrus, herbs, and pear continue on the palate and finishes with lightly lifted acidity and minerality. Enjoy served with roasted pork.
Yamas!
-Patrick
Akashi Ume - $36.99
Japanese whiskey is a very interesting category. As the Japanese government tightens laws on what can and cannot be called Japanese whiskey, it's really begun to take on a character of its own. A while ago, I had the pleasure of trying Akashi Ume as part of a Japanese whiskey flight. The Japanese plum serves as a delightful accent flavor to the whiskey, making it a wonderful stepping stone for people not so familiar with whiskey. Even for experienced whiskey drinkers, this is a delightful change of pace to perhaps cap off a night of tasting. If you've ever felt the itch to get into Japanese whiskey, this one of many great places to start.
-Nick N
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VERY IMPORTANT - Furry Friend Visits! |
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Cheers, Everyone!
The Team at North Loop Wine & Spirits
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