It’s culturally rare for Americans to indulge in a multicourse meal over several hours, but Thanksgiving is one of those times we do exactly that. It’s also a time to consider wrapping up your meal with a digestif!
What Are Digestifs?
Digestifs are much more popular in European countries where families often gather for large grand meals later in the evening leaving them rather full, and therefore in need of a way to settle the stomach before bed. This is where a digestif comes in.
What Is The Purpose of Digestifs?
Digestifs are found in a wide variety of flavors and colors, but they all serve one specific purpose: help you digest a large meal and hopefully avoid a food coma. They typically incorporate a high alcohol content, a little sweetness, are often boldly bitter, and packed with bitters, spices, and herbs that ease indigestion, like fennel, caraway, lemon verbena, or artichoke.
Digestifs are usually served straight up and sipped over conversation and signal not only the end of the meal, but the winding down of the entire evening. So, we’ve put together a few of our favorites for you to enjoy after stuffing your belly ridiculously full. Think of a digestif as liquid stretchy pants and grab a bottle for your next large meal.
Top Digestifs
Aquavit
A Scandinavian recipe typically served chilled. With caraway being the dominate spice in aquavit, you’ll notice a flavor similar to rye bread.
Chartreuse
Both the green and yellow varieties are made by French monks and are made from 130 plants, giving them a deeply spicy and herbal flavor. The green variety is known to be less sweet and more intense.
Strega
Considered the lighter Roman cousin of Chartreuse, Strega is a popular Italian herbal liqueur. It gets its brilliant yellow color from saffron, and contains 70 ingredients with hints of fennel, mint, anise, cloves, and nutmeg.
Cynar
A type of Italian Amaro that is a bit intense, but not overly so. You’ll find light herbal flavors and notes of dark roasted coffee on the palate. Artichoke leaves add a distinctive flavor and aid in digestion.
Fernet
Another style of the Italian Amaro, this fernet is actually made in Minneapolis and is quite well-balanced. It’s bitter but not harsh, minty but not too powerful, herbal, and dry.
Underberg
Similar to Fernet, but German, Underberg comes in a tiny bottle containing .67 ounces of this highly effective digestif. Made with herbs sourced from 43 countries and aged in Slovenian oak, it’s extremely herbaceous and strong.
Amaro
One of Italy’s most prized labels of amaro is Amaro Montenegro which is thick and quite bittersweet. Crafted from a secret blend of 40 botanicals, it achieves the perfect balance of bitter and sweet.
Sazerac Cocktail
If you aren’t ready to down your digestif straight, you can always opt for a New Orleans (they know how to eat) favorite – the Sazerac.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 oz. rye whisky
- 1 sugar cube
- 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
- absinthe
- lemon peel
Directions
- In an Old-Fashioned glass, muddle a sugar cube with a few drops of water.
- Add several small ice cubes, then rye whiskey, Peychaud’s bitters, and Angostura bitters. Stir well.
- Roll a few drops of absinthe around a second, chilled Old-Fashioned glass until its inside is thoroughly coated. Pour off the excess.
- Strain the contents of the first glass into the second. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel.
