Sophistication Comes to Thanksgiving?. . . Aperitifs and Digestifs join the Party

Apéritif: An alcoholic beverage usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite.

Digestif: An alcoholic beverage served after a meal, in theory to aid digestion.

     I had an idea the other day to add a new albeit subtle layer to this year’s Thanksgiving 2.6. I came across several foodie articles and I realized that I was missing this very European custom in my lunch/dinner presentation. What I was missing was the presentation of an aperitif and a digestif to my guests before and after the meal respectively. In many areas of Europe before the main meal the guests have a small amount of a moderately alcoholic drink before they eat, possibly with an appetizer of some sort. The bookend to the pre-meal drink is the partaking of a digestif. After a nice big meal when everyone is just sitting around and much talking is being done is when digestifs join the party. While these are common practices in mainland Europe, it is rare to see them served in the U.S. The only time I can think of that this is ever done on a regular basis is at a wedding reception. The “cocktail hour” is as close as we get to drinking aperitifs before a meal. Although if you have been to a wedding lately I would not call the drinks served during the "cocktail hour" light, dry and refreshing. The tradition of after dinner coffee is about as close as most Americans come to drinking a digestif. While this might not be a huge tradition in Germany (this years theme) I still want to attempt this idea this year. It's very likely that the themes for the next few years will keep us in Europe, so why not try it out now when there will be a large focus on beer. 

     I plan on introducing the aperitifs to the guests as they come in and while I show them where the nametags and food locations are. Not that there is ever a problem with getting people to eat at TH2, but if there is a way to stimulate the appetite in a new way of even a few of the guests I will be happy. Also, I am providing another reason to hang around the living room and dining room. If a few people stay in the living room while eating some cured meats and enjoying a glass of Aperol then I will be a happy host. I am always looking for ways to spread people out and draw people away from the natural gathering point of the kitchen. Since we are losing the "game room" upstairs to draw people away, the use of the living and dining rooms will become especially important this year. I  am going to place 1-3 different aperitifs with a bottle of soda water and a few lemon twists on the appetizer/roll tables in the living and dining rooms. 

     It is thought that the digestif wasn't widely adopted in America because of our love of restaurant culture. Restaurants do not usually want customers to hang around and discuss topics of the day after they have finished eating. Even though it never caught on, I feel like TH2 is a great way to introduce the idea to our guests. Luckily, because of the 2 Polar Paloozas I have gotten to tend bar at, I happen to have some digestifs already because they are a common cocktail ingredient. We already have Bailey’s Irish Cream, Galliano, a brandy and homemade limoncello. I may purchase a bottle of port from one of our favorite wineries (Mount Hope Winery) if there is any interest in this idea. On the dessert table in the kitchen I am going to present 2-4 different digestifs to choose from. I will have 2 or 3 ounce glasses on the table, as opposed to a rocks glass or something similar. The glass size will encourage tasting and sharing, which is what I want. I'll be a happy host if at the end of the night I see several people sitting around the fire with small glasses and unusual bottles sitting on a table.  

        I am hoping that the locations of these spirits near the food will highlight their specialness. If I am out of position when someone new stops by then maybe they will ask questions about these bottles that are hanging out on the food tables. These two simple additions may not add much flair to the event, but sometimes a subtle addition is all that's needed.