What is a digestif

A digestif or digestive (Latin digestivus, French digestif “a means that promotes digestion”) is a category of drinks that are usually served after eating food. The literal translation quite clearly reflects the main properties of this category of drinks.

Digestifs can be both cocktails and drinks in their pure form. Digestifs tend to be quite sweet and may have a creamy component or a high density. Also included in the digestif category are many types of brandy, such as cognac, armagnac, calvados or pisco.

All digestifs are usually served at the end of the meal to awaken the taste buds and leave a pleasant aftertaste.

Also, a digestif is an excellent opportunity to extend the evening, calm the excited receptors and enjoy the drink to the fullest.

Rules for serving a digestif

Depending on the type of digestif, the appropriate dishes are selected. If this is a cocktail, then it will be served in a cocktail glass , brandy is usually served in a snifter , and liqueurs (such as Tia Maria or Bénédictin) in small glasses - pony glass.

Types of digestifs

Digestive cocktails

In classic cocktails, an entire category is reserved for mixed drinks labeled “after dinner.” Such great cocktails as Grasshoper, Alexander, God mother, French connection are prominent representatives of this category.

Strong alcoholic digestif

As a digestif made from strong alcohol, you can select noble French cognacs and Armagnacs, Chilean pisco or Trinidadian dark rum. All these drinks have a fairly dense structure of aged alcohols; they envelop and smoothly spread over the mouth and stomach walls, thereby helping to improve digestion.

Digestif liqueurs

A drink that has a density of more than 150 grams of sugar per liter has the right to be called a liqueur. Thanks to their viscous texture, liqueurs also make excellent digestifs. They can often replace dessert and sweet fruit or berry liqueurs and serve slightly chilled in small quantities. Also, liqueurs and sweet herbal liqueurs are served at the end of the meal.

Recipes

One of the most popular classic digestif cocktails, Alexander, consists of brandy, crème de cacao dark liqueur and cream, all in a 1:1:1 ratio. All components are mixed in a shaker with ice and poured into a chilled cocktail glass, decorated with ground nutmeg and served to guests as an excellent creamy digestif.