The final touch

The delicious tradition of after-dinner liquers

Italian after-dinner liqueurs add a final touch to any Italian feast. Each Italian region boasts its own digestive specialty and it's been approximated that there are over 300 different types of Italian after-dinner drinks.
They are made from a diverse range of ingredients including herbs, barks and fruit. Originally brewed by alchemists, many were also produced by monks in monasteries and would be given to followers or sold in order to support the monasteries. Eventually, the brews were prepared in people's homes to be shared on special occasions. To this day, their intricate formulas are guarded with fervour by their makers.
A popular type of digestivo is amaro. These bitters are said to improve the digestion by their powerful ability to get the gastric juices flowing. Some versions are only mildly bitter like Averna, one of the most popular digestives. Hailing from Sicily and considered the favourite of 19th century Italian kings, Averna hints of a slightly bitter chocolate and coffee taste.
Other amari are extremely bitter, so much so that they taste quite harsh and medicinal, and there's no mistaking their power to get the digestive track up and running. These strong bitters are usually accompanied by a glass of water for alternate sipping and much needed relief.
The most famous example of this powerful type of after-dinner bitter is Fernet Branca. The harsh and medicinal tasting Fernet comes in both regular and mint flavours. Both varieties of this spirit are considered to be an acquired taste and reserved for the most tolerant of taste buds. Italians have always sworn this its aggressive punch is able to cure digestive problems.
Fernet is made from spices and herbs that are cured in oak barrels. Its harshness will zap a stubborn stomach into proper working condition again. This rather healthy result is a consequence of its origins - Fernet was originally developed by a Swedish doctor. The Italian Branca brothers eventually perfected it in 19th century Milan.
Besides the bitters, there are the essential digestives known as liquori in Italian or frequently referred to as cordials. "Cordials" derives from the Latin word "cordialis", meaning "of the heart" which refers to the fact that at one time cordials were love potions.
Amaretto, one of the most popular of the cordial digestives, has a sweet almond flavour. The majority of Amaretto liqueur is made from apricot pits, which have a bitter almond flavour. Versatile Amaretto can be sipped straight or mixed with coffee or ice cream.
Named for a 17th century hermit and shaped in the form of its namesake, Frangelico has a hazelnut flavour and is often added to coffee. Its distinctive taste is also used to enhance countless desserts.
Maraschino is made from the marasca, a sour cherry that grows in northern Italy. It is usually served straight or as an accompaniment to fruit salads.
Dessert wines are also part of the grand digestive tradition and while the bitters and cordials are drunk after the coffee at the end of a meal, dessert wines precede it.
Marsala comes in both dry and sweet versions. While the dry type is best used for cooking as in the recipe featuring marsala with parmigiano and almonds among a multitude of other favourites, the sweet marsala is best for after-dinner sipping. Some of the best producers are De Bartoli and Pellegrino.
Italians are known to be fond of dunking their biscotti in their after-dinner dessert wines. Vin Santo is one of the most popular of these dessert wines. Originating in Tuscany, this golden amber wine is made from white grapes that are allowed to dry like fine sherry.

Publication Date: 2005-08-28
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=5504