Although I’ve been a booze hound since puberty, here’s something I was today years old when I learned: An aperitif is a drink designed to stimulate the appetite.
The word aperitif is French; you can tell by the smugness and vowel count. Known in Italy as an “aperitivo,” both words trace to the Latin “aperire,” meaning “to open, or uncover.” They’re intended to open the appetite, but in many cases, uncover all manner of regrettable impulses and rogue nipples.
On May 15, we raise a glass to the glass on National Aperitif Day. Power Pisces, sommelier and beverage broker Shawna Allen tells The Post that an aperitif is “anything that gives you that tingle in your jaw, that’s your brain telling your body ‘I would like some food with this.’”
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