Digestif

A digestif (French digestif, from Latin digestivus — “digestive”) is a drink, usually strongly alcoholic, served at the end of a meal to conclude it and, by traditional belief, to aid digestion after rich food. It is the semantic and temporal opposite of the aperitif that opens a meal.

Unlike light aperitifs, digestifs are stronger, often more aged and richer drinks, sipped slowly in small mouthfuls, savouring the aroma. Classic digestifs are cognac, brandy, armagnac, whisky, aged rums, calvados, as well as herbal bitter liqueurs (like the Italian amaro), grappa, port, and sweet dessert wines. Many of them contain bitter herbs and spices traditionally credited with the power to stimulate digestion. The digestif is served after dessert, often together with coffee; its task is not to quench thirst but to put an elegant “full stop” to the meal, prolong the pleasant conversation at the table, and let the guests relax. The culture of the digestif, like that of the aperitif, is about unhurried pleasure and the ritual of a good dinner rather than the quantity drunk.