You’ve been sitting for four hours, merrily enjoying the parade of foods rich in sauce that fill the table. The holiday spirit and general joy abound, but your stomach, well, it starts to cry. The last thing in the world you want at this point is to pour something else into your strained digestive system.
But consider taking a page out of the Joyful Through the Ages playbook and instead of giving up, go for a digestif.
A digestif is a drink traditionally taken at the end of a meal to stimulate digestion, “cut fat” (as my Norwegian family says), and regain the confidence that will be Someday I want to eat again. They are a balm for stomach aches, elastic pants in liquid form. Digestives are usually taken in small amounts, just an ounce or two.
And, although people sometimes refer to any drink at the end of a meal as a digestif, it ends up grouping under the category of drinks which are actually dessert drinks like Irish Cream or Kahlua. . True digestives, however, drinks that are true digestive aids, are only slightly sweet, often confidently bitter, and loaded with spices and herbs that relieve indigestion, such as fennel, caraway, verbena. lemon or artichoke. .
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Put a digestif or two on the table with plenty of small glasses and end your party on a high note instead of a sizzle.
Keep these digestives on the table so you can continue the conversation instead of collapsing on the couch:
Aquavit
In my family, this Scandinavian spirit is a favorite for “reducing the fat” of Christmas meals. The dominant spice in aquavit is caraway, which gives it a flavor that may remind you of rye bread. Aquavit frequently contains spices like fennel and cardamom in addition to caraway, all of which are good for your digestive system.
Monastery
You can choose the green or yellow Chartreuse, but I recommend the green one because it is less sweet and more intense, which is what makes you wake up after a gourmet dinner. Both varieties of Chartreuse are made by French monks and are deeply spicy and herbal. Green Chartreuse has over 100 types of herbs so I think it’s safe to bet that at least some of them help with digestion.
Witch
Strega is an Italian herbal liqueur that could be considered a delicate Roman cousin of the Charterhouse. Although it is complex based on plants, it is less intense than Chartreuse. Strega is bright yellow due to the saffron, but it also tastes like fennel, mint, anise, cloves, and nutmeg. In short, all kinds of spices that are good for the stomach.
This is a type of Italian Amaro, which is a group of bitter Italian herbal liquors ranging from sweet caramel (like Averna Amaro) to bitter and mint (like Fernet Branca).
Cynar is on the intense side, but not overwhelming. It has a light herbaceous flavor and hints of black roasted coffee on the finish. Artichokes are one of the flavoring agents (cynar, however, does not taste like artichokes), and artichokes (along with certain other types of thistles used in liqueurs) have long been prized as an ingredient in digestive tonics, since They stimulate bile production and even protect the liver (praise it!).
Averna
For those craving an after dinner drink that tastes like grown-up Coca-Cola, look no further than the sweet and citrusy Averna. An ideal “starter” Amaro, Averna is not as herbaceous as Cynar, nor as bitter as other varieties, such as Fernet, it is perfect for whetting your digestive appetite. Sicilian amaro is delicious on the rocks or with a little mineral water and an olive.
Fernet
If finishing a meal with something sweet doesn’t appeal to you, let me direct you to Fernet. Unlike other amari like Cynar and Averna, which have bitter notes, Fernet is bitter, period. Although it is sweet on the palate, the taste is not at all sweet. With a high alcohol content and a distinctly medicinal, slightly minty flavor, it’s a serious drink, classically served on its own or with lemon peel ice cream. Some prefer Fernet mixed with other liqueurs or drinks to reduce its bitterness: Fernet and Campari or the Sweet Vermouth on Ice is wonderful on an autumn afternoon; In Argentina, Fernet y cola is a classic highball (and hangover cure).
Puerto
Technically a brandy fortified wine, port is a sweet drink that is delicious with cheese. Whether you’re looking for a bright white port, a fruity ruby, or a nutty tawny, the drink works best as a digestif just sipped in a glass.
Jerez
Another fortified wine (this time from a neutral grape spirit). Sherry, like most of these digestives, has been seen in recent decades as outdated, but in recent years it has seen a delicious resurgence in bars frequented not only by men in their 70s in Europe. Back to sherry: the Spanish drink, found in both sweet and dry vintages, is made exclusively from white grapes. It is best to drink it plain, cold, with dessert or cheese.
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