Food & Drink

Before dinner: the amuse-bouche

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Since cocktail hour sets the tone for the entire evening, it’s important to get it right. Call it what you want—an aperitivo, aperitif or an “amuse-bouche”—the best pre-dinner drinks are refreshing, light in alcohol and pair well with savoury snacks. These cheeky little bitterswee­t, fresh and fruit-forward liqueurs are the perfect appetizer hack, since they’ll prime the palate for more adventures in food and drink.

1 Aperol

LCBO 176834, $27.95 Pimm’s No. 1 Cup

LCBO 282277, $29.95

Italians always know exactly what to drink for every occasion, which is why we’re taking a page out of their rule book and adopting Aperol, a bitterswee­t orange/ rhubarb liqueur from Milan typically served at happy hour. Although often seen in a Spritz, it’s actually just as fun when it’s solo, as is the lightly bitter, eternally popular Pimm’s No. 1 Cup, a lively mix of gin, citrus and herbs, invented to drink with oysters almost 200 years ago by a London restaurate­ur.

2 Patrón Citronge Extra Fine Mango Liqueur

LCBO 548263, $33.95 Maxime Trijol Orange Liqueur

LCBO 12064, $49.90

You had us at “mango.” Wait, it gets even better: Patrón Citronge is made from fresh ataulfo fruit blended with the legendary Patrón tequila. It’s juicy and bright—a true crowd-pleaser, whether served straight-up or on the rocks. For a fresh take on an old school French classic, there’s Maxime Trijol, made with plenty of rich orange flavour layered onto the liqueur’s backbone—the Trijol House’s award-winning Cognac.

3 Giffard Lichi-Li

LCBO 439182, 700 mL, $28.65 Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur

LCBO 157917, $49.95

Pink drinks never get old, but the aromatic and complex Giffard’s Lichi-Li is especially playful and youthy, thanks to added passion fruit and a touch of bitter tonic that’s there to cut the sweet and keep things real. Domaine de Canton, a French ginger liqueur, does something similar, except with ginseng and other herbs and spices inspired by the spicy-sweet flavour combinatio­ns found in the cuisine of southern China.

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