It's important to remember that the digestivo is usually its own dinner course! After the meal there's coffee (never served with dessert) and then the digestivo to round off. Good To Know: A digestivo is sometimes called an ammazzacaffe: literal translation 'a coffee killer.
Simply put, the Italian digestif or digestivo is an alcoholic drink served after dinner to help with digestion.
Digestivo (After the MEal)
Italian digestivo are best described as alcoholic post-dinner nightcaps. Usually served as shots in small glasses, they are meant to assist in digesting hefty meals and come in both sweet and bitter varieties.
After dinner drinks are often referred to as digestifs. Digestif is actually the French word for “digestive,” meaning they are exactly what the name suggests: alcoholic beverages typically served after a meal to aid digestion.
Caffè Corretto
It's very common to see this party in a cup as an after-dinner drink, because of, you guessed it, the assistance with digestion! Other than that, it's typically ordered from about 5 pm onwards. Enjoy “Un caffè corretto, per favore!”
Limoncello, the lemon zest-infused liqueur of the southern Italian coast, does double duty. It's fairly common to see it enjoyed as an aperitivo with some prosecco or sparkling water as a spritz, but it's most classically considered an after-dinner drink.
Why do Italians drink coffee after dinner? “The espresso after dinner is ordered only if the meal was heavy, and they also 'correct' the espresso by adding grappa, known as 'the corretto,'” Milos says. The habit might also have to do with the fact that Italians stay up later.
Classic digestifs involve sipping whiskey, brandy, aged tequilas, or rum simply on the rocks or mixed, as they often have an herbal flavor profile that encourages slowly savoring the drink. If you've ever had a Manhattan, a Negroni, or a Hot Toddy, you likely know just how delicious those taste at the end of the night!
A nightcap is a drink taken shortly before bedtime. For example, a small alcoholic drink or glass of warm milk can supposedly promote a good night's sleep.
The most popular Italian drinks for aperitif are Vermouth and Aperol. Vermouth was the favorite of Vittorio Emanuelle II, the king of Italy in the 17th century. The aperitif drink turned into a ritual for most Italians. You can eat something with any bitter drink.
Traditionally, an aperitivo is a carbonated, bitter, and low-alcohol beverage, such as the Aperol spritz, which is made with Prosecco, Aperol, and a spritz of sparkling mineral water. More flexible today, orders range from wine to beer to a variety of mixed drinks.
However, after 11am, it is considered more appropriate to switch to a stronger, richer coffee such as an espresso or a macchiato. These coffees are typically consumed without any added milk or sugar, and are meant to be sipped and savored rather than gulped down.
Port and other fortified wines, including vermouth and sherry have long been popular as after-dinner drinks. Light and sweet, they are easy to sip and enjoy for all types of palettes.
Sambuca is an Italian after-dinner liqueur made from anise seeds. It bears flavor similarities to Mediterreanean digestivos like ouzo and mastika and to other anise-based beverages like absinthe. Traditionally, Sambuca is served either straight-up or as an addition to coffee.
Your drink served before dinner is known as an aperitif while that drink you have after dinner is called a digestif.
Beer and a Shot
And most bartenders drink well (think special-release cask ales and Scotches with unpronounceable names). But at the end of a long shift, one of the more common bartender choices is also one of the more modest: the simple beer-and-shot, also known as a Boilermaker. Why the name?
Is an aperitif before or after dinner? An aperitif or aperitivo, depending on which part of Europe you're in, is traditionally drunk before food to stimulate your mouth and stomach and get you ready for the big evening meal. An aperitif is usually dry, tart or fizzy, all of which naturally stimulate saliva production.
Sip a glass of water
"A glass of water when you first wake up will help you rehydrate from the night before," says Beaver. "If you got to the point of vomiting, drinking Gatorade and Pedialyte are good choices to help replenish the lost electrolytes."
Red wine (unsurprisingly) made over 60% of respondents feel sleepy, compared to only 39% for beer, the next highest category.
This explains why many cultures, such as the Italians, may prefer espresso after dinner. A quick shot of moderate amounts of caffeine can fight off the heavy feeling that follows a large meal, while quickly drinking it allows it to wear off in the hours between dinner and bed.
Don't order a cappuccino after noon
Italians have a thing about drinking cappuccino after noon. It's just not done (some say it's because the milk and foam makes it a replacement for a meal, and all that dairy upsets the digestion).
Thou shalt only drink cappuccino, caffé latte, latte macchiato or any milky form of coffee in the morning, and never after a meal. Italians cringe at the thought of all that hot milk hitting a full stomach. An American friend of mine who has lived in Rome for many years continues, knowingly, to break this rule.