6 Delicious Pre-Dinner Drinks To Serve At Your Next Gathering
Pre-dinner drinks or aperitifs are refreshing concoctions that are traditionally prepared using fresh ingredients that will dance on your taste buds and prompt you to build your appetite ahead of a big meal.
When you are hosting a cocktail evening that will morph into dinner, make sure you serve your guests such delicious aperitifs that they can sip on at a leisurely pace before sitting down to eat.
In some cultures, drinking aperitifs begins early in the evening and these tipples are enjoyed for hours till it is time for dinner.
There are some delicious alcoholic and non-alcoholic alternatives out there which are among some of the finest pre dinner drinks that can be served at your next gathering. One of the main highlights of these drinks is their light and airy quality which prevents the blend from becoming too overpowering but makes it tasty enough to lightly tease your taste buds.
Read on below to know more about some of the delicious pre dinner drinks you can serve at a cocktails and dinner evening you plan to host:
Aperol Spritz
A delicious aerated drink prepared by bringing together the light and refreshing aperitif with a generous helping of prosecco and some ice, this is a classic pre dinner tipple enjoyed before you sit down for a leisurely course meal. The Italian cocktail is widely celebrated because the bubbly aperol becomes a jolt of freshness with just a hint of bitter intensity that is perfect for preparing your taste buds for the sumptuous meal that will follow.
Jaljeera
Enjoyed for its tangy and lip smacking flavour, jaljeera is a most sought after pre dinner drink because all the different refreshing spices it contains are said to boost your appetite by awakening your taste buds and readying them for the meal that lies ahead.
Jaljeera is prepared using a host of ingredients including cumin and coriander powder, fennel, mango powder and lots of black salt which give the drink its signature zing. You can make jaljeera at home by adding soda or water to a jaljeera premix readily available in local stores. Top this drink up with boondi that acts as a colourful garnish over the deep green mocktail.
Pastis Cocktail
The anise flavoured pastis is widely enjoyed in many French cultures during summers as a leisurely drink sipped on before dinner. It carries fresh and vibrant notes that are savoured slowly by diluting the pastis in chilled water or in ice so the mixture turns slightly cloudy. Traditionally, pastis is poured into a highball glass in late afternoons and the drink is diluted for hours until late evening when the clocks signal dinnertime.
Gin And Tonic
A delightful aperitif that is very easy to prepare, gin and tonic contains all the herbaceous notes of the spirit coupled with the refreshing qualities of chilled tonic water and the tanginess of a lime wedge that make it an ideal pre dinner tipple. Made from Tanqueray No. Ten Gin, this classic cocktail will bring a lot of freshness to your palate and open up your taste buds so they can experience the different flavours part of your dinner feast. The cocktail is light, refreshing and utterly pleasing without becoming too boozy or overpowering.
Pineapple Ginger Fizz
Mocktails can be brilliant aperitifs as long as the combination of fruits and juices coming together in the drink work towards building your appetite for a meal. One such mocktail is the pineapple ginger fizz containing all the sweet and sour qualities of the tropical fruit and the spicy kick of ginger. You can use sparkling water to introduce a fizzy element into the drink or you can swap ginger syrup for ginger beer to give the drink an airiness and carbonated touch. Garnish with black salt to elevate the fruity and spicy flavours in the mocktail.
Negroni
One of the most popular aperitifs or pre dinner tipples savoured across many cocktail cultures, the negroni is prepared using refreshing liqueurs like vermouth, campari and a splash of gin all brought together to exude a warm orange and red hue. The drink is often garnished with a twisted orange peel that introduces tart and refreshing flavours into the mix. Negronis are earnestly celebrated for being rejuvenating tipples that serve as mouth watering concoctions at pre dinner cocktails.
