Apéro - France
Apéritif, shortened to apéro by all in France, is both a drink and an event, and it can be enjoyed anywhere…
by Janine Marsh
Apéro refers to a pre-dinner drinks tradition in France. But it’s much more than just Happy Hour, much more than just a drink. It’s a cultural and social ritual that’s about friendship, conviviality and conversation.
The origins of the apéritif go back centuries and originally it referred to a medicinal drink. In 1751, French philosopher and writer Diderot quantified apéritif as “a drug which opens the way to elimination” of toxins, in his Great Encyclopedia. But by the 19th century with the easy availability of intoxicating drinks such as absinthe, apéritif in France became more of a social event, ostensibly to stimulate the appetite. It’s been popular ever since.
2020 saw a major shift to the custom of apéro. It went online. According to a survey by France's impressively titled Syndicat des Apéritifs à Croquer - which literally means the "federation of apéritif nibbles", 90% of French people consider apéro a way of uniting during a period of sadness or uncertainty. So, unable to get together in person – apéro in France went virtual.
#WhatsAppero
The joy of virtual apéro is that you can reunite with loved ones anywhere. But there are a few things you can do to help your get together run smoothly.
First make sure everyone has the right tools to join in – Zoom, WhatsApp, FaceTime and Skype are popular and easy to use.
Wine and Champagne are traditional for l’heure de l’apéro but these days the emphasis is on whatever takes your fancy. It’s a great chance to practice mixology skills and create a blend to talk about. And apéro is all about the chat.
Creating cocktails provides infinite possibility and creativity. It’s also a chance to establish a tradition of your own. My WhatsApp apéro group loves to start with a refreshingly mellow brandy cocktail by Arnaud Volte of the London EDITION hotel: 50ml Bardinet brandy (one of the leading French brandies in the UK), topped up with ginger ale and garnished with a sprig of rosemary or thyme.
Always serve nibbles with your aperitif and make them grabbable, dippable and shareable. Nuts and olives are fine, or maybe a 5-minute recipe like Roquefort cheese mixed with butter and spread on bread with a sprinkling of walnuts over the top.
Keep the group small if you want to be able to hear each other talk – and avoid politics as a discussion topic if you want to keep it fun.
Drinks, nibbles and loved ones – that’s apéro …
Janine Marsh is our guest columnist she is the editor at The Good Life France
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Perfect tune for French apéro