what is a digestif

A digestif is an alcoholic beverage served after a meal with the intention of aiding digestion. It is traditionally believed to help settle the stomach and commence the digestion process, although there is not strong evidence to support this. Digestifs are usually taken neat and tend to be stronger in alcohol than apéritifs. Common types of digestifs include brandy, fortified wines (such as sweet sherry, vermouth, port, madeira, and Ratafia), herbal liqueurs (such as fernet), amari, and distilled liquors (such as ouzo, schnapps, tequila, or akvavit) . Bitter digestifs typically contain carminative herbs, with the intention of aiding digestion. When served after coffee, a digestif may be called pousse-café. Digestifs are not necessarily dessert drinks and tend to be far less sweet and higher in alcohol than the typical dessert cocktail.