Alternate meaning: Aperitif (record label)

An apéritif is an alcoholic drink usually enjoyed as an appetiser before a large meal. It is often served with something small to eat, like olives or biscuits. In general usage, alcohol (from Arabic al-khwl الكحول, or al-ghawl الغول) refers almost always to ethanol, also known as grain alcohol, and often to any beverage that contains ethanol (see alcoholic beverage). ... Hors doeuvres (or alternatively appetiser, appetizer or starter) refer to the food served before or outside of (French: hors) the main dishes of a meal (the œuvre). ... A meal is an instance of eating, specifically one that takes place at a specific time and includes specific, prepared food. ... Species About 20, including: Olea brachiata Olea capensis Olea caudatilimba Olea europaea Olea exasperata Olea guangxiensis Olea hainanensis Olea laxiflora Olea neriifolia Olea paniculata Olea parvilimba Olea rosea Olea salicifolia Olea tetragonoclada Olea tsoongii Olea undulata The olives (Olea) are a genus of about 20 species of small trees in... A biscuit is a type of food. ...

The word comes from the Latin verb aperire, which means to open, because an apéritif indeed opens the meal.

History

Apéritifs first became truly popular in the late 19th century, in Europe. By 1900, having an apéritif before a meal was very common in the United States, too. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ...

However, there is no definite origin of the apéritif, with some saying that the concept of drinking a small amount of alcohol before a meal dates back to Ancient Egyptian times. Map of Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt was an organized civilization of the Nile Valley from around 3300 BC until the conquest of Alexander the Great in 332 BC. Although recent excavations reveal a cattle-herding society of peoples living in the region as early as 6000 BC. And by 4000...

Types of apéritif

There is no one particular type of alcohol that is always used for apéritifs, though liqueurs are common. A liqueur is a sweet alcoholic beverage, often flavored with fruits, herbs, or spices, and sometimes cream. ...

One of the most common apéritifs is sherry. Sherry is a type of wine originally produced in and around the town of Jerez, Spain. ...

The particular type varies from region to region: for example, in Greece, ouzo is a common apéritif, while in the United States, it would be rare to have ouzo as an apéritif. Ouzo (ούζο) is a Greek anise-flavored liqueur that is widely consumed in Greece. ...

In the Czech Republic a common type of apéritif is Becherovka especially in the spa town of Karlovy Vary. Becherovka is a liqueur from the Czech Republic. ... Karlovy Vary or Carlsbad (German: Karlsbad), the city and spa situated in the western part of the Czech Republic. ...

In southern France a common apéritif is Pastis which is another Anise-based drink, with commonly found brands in France being Ricard, Pernod and Pastis 51. The French typically drink it diluted 1:5 with water in a tall glass as a refreshing drink. The water may be added by drizzling it into the glass through a slotted Absinthe spoon, on which one or more cubes of sugar are placed as part of the infusion. A notable feature of this drink is that it turns from a sombre yellow to opaque white when water is added. This is distinct from but closely related to Absinthe, which is a much more alcoholic beverage containing a wider array of botanical extracts. Pastis is an anise-flavored liqueur and aperitif from France, typically containing 40-45% alcohol by volume, although there exist alcohol-free varieties. ... A vintage absinthe advertisement Absinthe (from the French) is an alcohol liqueur derived from herbs including the flowers and leaves of the medicinal plant Artemisia absinthium, also called wormwood. ... A vintage absinthe advertisement Absinthe (from the French) is an alcohol liqueur derived from herbs including the flowers and leaves of the medicinal plant Artemisia absinthium, also called wormwood. ...

Also popular "aperos" are any array of bitter drinks such as Campari, Suze, and Cinzano.

The French also serve a digestif after meals, which is usually a strong spirit or liqueur. However this practice is in some decline in France due to increasing enforcement of breath-testing road blocks as part of their drunk-driving laws. French: Something, exp. ...