What's The Point Of An After-Dinner Drink?

When your plate is cleared, your belly satiated, and the dessert presented, you might think that your dinner has come to a perfectly satisfying conclusion. And you may be right. But with an after-dinner drink, you have the perfect accompaniment to the past-meal relaxation and/or conversation as the evening hours tick by. An after-dinner beverage isn't simply a thing to be enjoyed, though — it has a purpose for those who take their meal routines to heart.

You might have heard about aperitifs and digestifs and how each is used with regards to your overall meal. Heck, you might even be aware of how to make one of the most popular aperitif-based drinks: the Aperol spritz. But where aperitifs concern the beginning of your dinner experience (quite literally coming from the Latin word for "to open"), digestifs are used at the tail end of it. Digestifs, as their name implies, are drinks taken to aid in digestion, so they're perfect for sipping on when you're nursing a full stomach. They're usually characterized as being stronger and sweeter than their aperitif counterparts, and liquors and liqueurs alike, as well as fortified wines and even coffee, are great candidates to be your digestif of choice.

We can all agree that the allure of an easy-sipping after-meal aid for your digestion is certainly appealing. But is there actually any proof that digestifs help in their purported purpose — to help your body digest its meal? Here, there's a mixed bag of results, with some common digestifs definitively proving themselves as useful while the jury remains out on others. Take coffee for example. This after-dinner staple is more than just a habit for some people — it can make the digestive process feel a lot smoother by stimulating the secretion of acids in your stomach, which in turn aids with breaking down your meal.

As far as other traditional digestifs such as bitter liqueurs are concerned, there seems to be no sure consensus on whether they truly help with digestion or if their effects are more related to how they make you feel. Essentially, while there is the suggestion that bitter imbibements can help you digest, this isn't a cold hard fact. It's also speculated that the herbal and spicy components of these drinks soothe the drinker more than they actually aid the digestive process. The end effect is largely the same though: A more relaxing and enjoyable post-meal experience.

Just like the world of cocktails and other drinks, the realm of digestifs is a broad one. For someone just beginning to entertain the idea of sipping on a digestif after a meal, it can be daunting to try and pick one out among the litany of options, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Luckily, you can narrow down your choices by lumping digestifs into particular categories to help you narrow down your choices. Generally speaking, you can think of a digestif as belonging to either the family of coffees, spirits, liqueurs, or fortified wines.

Coffee is a solid option in its own right, especially if you want to dive into digestifs with a familiar drink. Drip coffee and espresso are bold but satisfying choices. As a rule of thumb, try to avoid milk — it can slow digestion, which is why cappuccinos in the afternoon are frowned upon in Italy. Strong spirits are a sophisticated but potentially-intimidating option if you aren't used to sipping liquors neat. Cognac, scotch, aged tequila, Grappa, and aquavit are all used as digestifs in their respective cultures and around the world. If you want something with less burn though, herbal/bitter liqueurs and fortified wines are a great choice. Herbal tinctures like Chartreuse or even Jägermeister can get the job done here, and sherry and port are two popular examples of a digestif fortified wine. No matter how strong you like it, then, there's certainly a drink to help settle you after your meal.