🥃 Aperitif
A light dry or bittersweet drink before a meal: vermouth, dry sherry, red bitters; from Latin aperire, “to open”. A custom rather than an EU category.
Aperitif (aperitivo in Italian) is a light dry or bittersweet drink served before a meal. The word comes from the Latin aperire, “to open”. Aperitifs include vermouth, dry sherry, Italian red bitters such as Campari and Aperol, anise drinks and cocktails based on them.
History. According to Difford’s Guide, as early as the 5th century the Greek theologian Diadochus of Photiki condemned drinks taken before a meal that “open the stomach”. The custom spread widely in the 19th century in France, Spain and Italy, and many bittersweet liqueurs appeared then. Aperol was created in Padua in 1919 and named after the French word apéro.
What is in the glass. Aperitifs often contain bitter ingredients: wormwood, cinchona bark, gentian root. Aperol is 11% ABV, vermouth is an aromatised wine, fino is dry sherry. According to Difford’s Guide, the classic aperitif cocktails are the Americano, Negroni and Spritz.
Aperitivo in Italy. In Italy, aperitivo is an early-evening ritual, roughly from 18:00 to 21:00: snacks are served free with the drink, from olives and crisps to bruschetta. According to Difford’s Guide, without a snack it is not an aperitivo, just a drink.
Why it matters to you. “Aperitif” is a custom and a style, not a legal category: look for the legal name on the bottle (vermouth, bitter, liqueur) and the strength. A claim that such a drink aids digestion is banned on drinks above 1.2% ABV in the EU. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe dose of alcohol.
Facts
| Legal basis | no separate EU category; health claims are banned: Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, Art. 4(3) |
|---|---|
| Raw material | bitter herbs and bark: wormwood, cinchona bark, gentian; the base is wine or spirit |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | from light (Aperol: 11% ABV) to strong anise drinks |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Aperitif → image → 🌿 Bitters and bitter spirits → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Related to
- 🌿 Bitters and bitter spirits, 🥃 Campari, 🥃 Aperol, 🍷 Vermouth, 🍷 Fino, 🌿 Pastis
- Images and sayings
- 🥃 Americano, 🥃 Bartender, 🥃 Garibaldi
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Italians, 🧑🤝🧑 French
- Part of
- 🏷️ Label, law and health
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Digestif
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that an aperitif aids digestion?
That claim may not be made on drinks above 1.2% ABV in the EU (Regulation 1924/2006, Art. 4(3)); the WHO stresses that there is no safe dose of alcohol.
Where does the word “aperitif” come from?
From the Latin aperire, “to open”: the drink “opens” the meal.
Which drinks are considered aperitifs?
Vermouth and other aromatised wines, dry sherry, amaro and red bitters, anise drinks, as well as the cocktails Americano, Negroni and Spritz.
How does the Italian aperitivo differ from happy hour?
Drinks are usually not cheaper, but snacks are served free with them; without a snack it is not an aperitivo.
Is “aperitif” a category on the label?
No. In the EU it is a custom and a style; the legal name on the bottle is vermouth, bitter, liqueur and so on.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🧑🤝🧑 French — The main population of France; their cheese culture is camembert, brie, Comté and roquefort, and the country has 51 dairy AOP names.
- 🌿 Bitters and bitter spirits — Bitter spirits: bitters from 15% vol.; gentian is a distillate of gentian root; bitter liqueurs are sweeter.
- 🌿 Pastis — Anise spirit with liquorice extract: at least 40% vol., under 100 g/l of sugar and 1.5–2 g/l of anethole.
- 🥃 Bartender — A bar worker who mixes and serves drinks behind the counter; Jerry Thomas described the profession in a 1862 book, and the IBA has united bartenders since 1951.
Similar
🥃 Digestif · 🥃 Whiskey Rebellion · 🥃 Paisaje Agavero · 🥃 Bardstown
Sources
- Difford's Guide encyclopedia: Aperitif and aperitivo (meaning, aperire, typical drinks, Diadochos of Photiki, 19th c. Europe, Italian aperitivo with snacks)
- Difford's Guide: Aperol Aperitivo (11 %; Padua 1919; named after French "apéro"; gentian, cinchona, bitter orange)
- Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims, Art. 4(3): no health claims on beverages over 1.2 % vol.
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)