The word sounds important as it should, it means to "open up the appetite". A great way to start a meal is with the right cocktail and the aperitif is that cocktail. Ranging from a light spirit such as champagne or wine to a more complex flavor such as a bitter or vermouth, the choices for an aperitif vary greatly.
Vermouth is actually a wine with additional sugar, herb and plant flavoring plus a dash of alcohol. In either a dry or sweet variety, vermouth can be enjoyed either neat, over ice, or mixed. Naturally a martini would be naked without it, and Manhattans require it in both the sweet and dry variety. Other wine based aperitifs include Lillet and Dubonnet, both from France as is vermouth, although Italy produces the more popular brands.
Bitters, as the name perceives, are bitter. They make a wonderful aperitif or digestif and some but not all contain alcohol. They are the ingredient to hundreds of cocktails and although a little too powerful neat, a few drops to a drink can make a world of difference, helping take some of the sweetness out. As mentioned on one bitters label, "it's what you put in to make the flavor come out." Derived from complex formulas including roots, flowers, herbs, fruits, and who knows what, these products were originally produced, as many liqueurs are, as medicine.
