Digestifs are alcoholic drinks that are served at the end of your meal (As apposed to Apéritifs which a served prior to eating). These after-dinner drinks are sweeter, and have a higher alcohol percentage as they are designed to help with the digestion of your meal.
Popular French Digestifs:
Armagnac – Armagnac is a French brandy, made from a blend of grapes, that is produced in the region of the same name, in Gascony, southwest France. It is famous for being France’s first brandy, and is now over 150 years old.
Bénédictine – A rich and flavourful herbal liqueur that was first developed and produced in 1510 by Don Bernardo Vincelli, a Benedictine monk. The main ingredients are Hyssop, Angelica and Lemon Balm. However, the complete recipe is heavily guarded, and there are currently only three people who know it.
Chambord Liqueur – Chambord is a black raspberry flavoured liqueur, which is produced in the Loire Valley, in Central France. It has a delicious flavour of both red and black raspberries, vanilla, citrus, honey and cognac.
Cognac – Known world-wide, Cognac is one of the finest and most popular brandy spirits. It is produced in (as the name suggests!) Cognac – which is located in the Charente department in southwestern France.
Cointreau – Cointreau is an orange flavoured liqueur, and a brand of triple sec that is produced in Saint-Barthélemy-d’Anjou, France. Cointreau can be served as both an aperitif and digestif, and is a key component to many well-known cocktails!
Crème de Cassis – Créme de Cassis is a red coloured, sweetly flavoured liqueur made from blackcurrants. It originates from France, primarily from the region of Burgundy and Dijon. To ensure a bottle of high quality look for a label that reads: ‘Crème de Cassis de Dijon’, as this gives assurance that the blackcurrants grown in the area are of the highest quality. Créme de Cassis is the liqueur used in the cocktail Kir Royale.
Crème de Menthe – Créme de Menthe is a sweet, mint flavoured alcoholic drink flavoured with peppermint from fresh mint leaves. Bols Peppermint liqueur has long been the favoured digestif beverage, and it can be purchased as either, ‘Bols Peppermint Green’ or ‘Bols Peppermint White’. The taste of both is identical to one another; it is only the colour that differs. It can be served neat, or as the base to the popular mixer, Grasshopper.
Domaine de Canton French Ginger Liqueur – Dome de Canton is a ginger flavoured liqueur that has been produced in France since 2007. Its earlier formulation was called ‘Canton’ and was originally made in China from 1992 – 1997. The current liqueur is purchased in a bamboo style bottle, and contains delicious Vietnamese baby crystallised ginger, ginseng, herbs, brandy and honey. It can be served neat, as a spirit base, or as part of a mixer.
Eau De Vie – Eau De Vie is a clear, colourless fruit flavoured brandy that is produced using a range of different fruits, aside from grapes, which are fermented and double distilled.
Grand Marnier – Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge is an orange flavoured French liqueur that was first created in 1880. This liqueur is produced from a special blend of cognac, dried orange peels, vanilla and spices. It is served neat, and also can be used in mixers and desserts. For example it is famously known for the preparation of flambé dishes, such as Crêpes Suzette, Crème Brûlée, and Grand Marnier Soufflé.
Izarra – Izarra is a vibrant herbal liqueur that is produced in Bayonne in the French Basque Country in France. There are three different varieties of Izarra –Yellow Izarra, which has an almond flavour, Green Izarra – which is made with 16 herbs and has a minty taste, and Izarra 54 – which has a similar flavour to the Green Izarra, but with a much higher volume of alcohol.
La Muse Verte Absinthe – La Muse Verte Absinthe is an original family recipe from the 1900s. It is produced from Grande Absinthe, and can also contain, star anise, lemon balm, sage, fennel and hyssop. The drink is bright green in colour and has a floral and herbaceous flavour with notes of spice and anise.
Pastis La Muse Verte – Pastis La Muse Verte was produced by the man whom’s grandfather used to make La Muse Verte Absinthe, but with this drink Jean Michel Berneau removed the absinthe. The main ingredients are star anise, seed anise, fennel, sage and licorice. Each bottle comes with a special ‘absinthe’ spoon so that sugar can be added at the time of serving.
Triple Sec – Triple Sec is an orange flavoured Curaçao liqueur, and is made using the peels of both sweet and bitter oranges. Triple Sec is great neat or on the rocks, but is also commonly served as an ingredient in a wide variety of cocktails and mixers. Such as: Sangria, Long Island Iced Tea, Cosmopolitan and Margarita.
Keywords:
Amer – Bitter
Amuse-Bouche – Amusement of the mouth
A votre santé – ‘To your health!” – Used as a toast
Café – Coffee
Digestif – An after dinner drink
Entré – Starter
Fromage – Cheese (Check out Paradise’s Guide to French Cheese!)
Menu Degustation – Tasting Menu
Petit Four – Little cakes typically eaten at the end of a meal
Plat – Main Course
Prix Fix Menu – Price Fixed Menu
Paradise Francais 
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