Texans like pretty much everything bigger, bolder, more… well, More! And that includes the flavor of our food. Whether its BBQ, chicken fried steak (we’ll leave the country fried steak to the rest of the country), or Tex-Mex fajitas, bring on the gusto!
And yet.
There is a custom in other parts of the world than might fit in quite nicely with a Texas-style dinner, but it might take a bit of getting used to. I refer to the aperitif.
An aperitif is a before-dinner drink, a cocktail designed to stimulate your taste buds and whet your appetite. It is, by nature, dry (often even a tad bitter), and contains lower alcohol content than classic cocktails, typically 16 to 25 percent rather than the usual 40+ percent. The idea is to prepare your senses for the upcoming meal. A higher alcohol drink actually dulls the flavor of food, and a sweeter drink tends to suppress the appetite—neither of which exactly lends itself to preparing you to enjoy your upcoming feast.
Common aperitifs include Campari, Aperol, Vermouth, Lillet, and Dubonnet, but Champagne, Sherry, and Prosecco are also popular choices.
The Continental fashion for enjoying an aperitif is typically straight up or mixed with soda, with or without ice. Americanized versions are often served as before-dinner cocktails and mixed with harder spirits. Whichever fashion you prefer, adding an aperitif to your dinner party will not only added a cultured layer to the affair, but it will take the flavor of the food to a whole new level.