The post-Thanksgiving dinner cocktail that satisfies your taste buds and settles your stomach.
by Jessica Toscano Nov 11, 2021
There’s nothing quite as joyous as gathering around a table to share stories, appetites, and appreciation with the people who matter most. Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving with blood relatives or chosen family, it’s the traditions that remain after the festivities end, and what’s more traditional on this day of thanks than a feast of favorites? To stimulate the appetite, low-ABV options known as apéritifs (see: vermouth, Aperol, and Campari) have been a pre-meal favorite since the 1800s when the phylloxera epidemic (tiny yellow lice called phylloxera that nearly obliterated France’s vineyards) created the need for cheap distilled alcohol. Its newfound availability spawned the modern apéritif, a tradition that was popularized in Italy shortly thereafter.
Since Thanksgiving hardly requires much need for an appetite inducer, allow us to introduce apéritif’s less-mentioned counterpart, the digestif — an often sweet, sometimes bitter alcohol bev that’s presented after a meal to aid in digestion, and a must for the upcoming holiday. Think brandies, liqueurs, and dessert wines to be sipped and savored, or a cocktail that serves as a treat. The real mechanism behind the digestif lies within bitters, a series of herbs and spices that settle the stomach, and ultimately, help you feel less stuffed. With Italian amaro, an herbal liqueur and digestif, and Mexican mezcal, an agave-based alcohol noted for its often earthy or fruity profile and slight fiery appeal, our November cocktail not only promises relief after Thanksgiving seconds; it introduces a cultural spin to one of the most well-known American holidays.
According to Mexican tradition, mezcal serves to both celebrate and mourn and is meant to be slowly enjoyed. When paired with a post-meal liqueur like amaro, which is also meant to be savored, it delivers a digestif that’s easy to concoct whether you play hostess or guest. Since Thanksgiving is about expressing thanks, Madré Mezcal presents itself as the brand that delivers with its "Together/Juntos'' campaign, an effort that raises funds and awareness for non-profits like Raices, an agency that provides free and low-cost legal services to immigrant children, families, and refugees in need. Aid in their mission by purchasing items from their Together/Juntos line, which donates 100% of their proceeds. Additionally, a portion of total sales from the brand’s two artisanal handcrafted varieties — the Ensamble for sipping and the Espadin for mixing — are donated to female-owned nonprofits that educate, empower, and provide resources for the women and poverty-stricken children of Oaxaca, Mexico. That said, drink up!
Recipe:
In a rocks glass, pour 1 part Averna and 1 part Madre Mezcal (either variety works). Add ice (like a sphere cube made from this Amazon’s Choice ice mold set) and stir. Garnish with a blood orange wheel, and enjoy!
