Drinking a cocktail before dinner is like poking a spoon in the chef’s eye, a New York restaurateur once said to me. So what’s a more food-friendly predinner quaff? An aperitif of course. Aperitifs (from the Latin aperire) are served to “open” a meal. They can run the gamut from champagne to various fortified wines like dry sherry and the lesser-known white port. What all have in common is lower alcohol levels than spirits, usually between 16 percent and 30 percent alcohol by volume.
When you think of aperitifs, Martini Bianco on the rocks or the bitter-orange flavor of Campari and soda with a twist come to mind, but Italians aren’t the only ones to make great aperitivi. Bordeaux’s Lillet, wine flavored with liqueurs, fruits, and herbs, is also a perfect light palate opener to sip before dinner. Over at Union, bar manager Jerry Tide uses aperitifs like Lillet in cocktails such as the Montmartre ($8), made with Grey Goose vodka. He also uses Lillet in place of the dry vermouth in a Manhattan and in kir royales instead of the cassis. Aperitifs offer “very refreshing flavors. In summer and springtime, I don’t want to get too heavy with my alcohol.”
In winter, red Lillet ($16 a bottle) can be heated and drunk like mulled wine and used for cooking dishes like mussels and chicken, says Maggie Dutton, former wine director of DeLaurenti. “An aperitif is meant to wake up your palate rather than deaden it. It should be working on all levels: salty, sweet, sour, and bitter.” Dutton suggests mixing white port with tonic for a less alcoholic gin and tonic. The store carries Porto Roche for $10 for a .375-mililiter bottle, says Dutton.
Aperitifs seem to be “more popular with people from out of town than people from Seattle,” notes Cyril Frechier, wine director at Rover’s. He surmises that locals aren’t often exposed to aperitifs as it’s not part of the local culture. “There’s not as much European influence in Seattle as on the East Coast.” Frechier serves Lillet and Noilly Prat vermouth on the rocks, as well as Pineau des Charentes (a mix of grape juice and cognac) neat, all for $6.50.
