For the French, the fleeting interlude between a long workday and the evening meal is not meant to be hectic or crazed. Instead, that time is a much needed chance to pause, take a breath, and reset with light drinks and snacks. As a ritual, it goes back generations. Whether it’s a quick affair before dinner or a lead-up to a more lavish party, apéritif is about kicking off the night, rousing the appetite, and doing so with social connection.
For food stylist and author Rebekah Peppler, a longtime fan of spirits, the fascination with the tradition of apéro actually began when she was still in Brooklyn, unaware of its existence. In her new book Apéritif: Cocktail Hour the French Way (Clarkson Potter) she writes, “I was sick of paying twelve dollars a round, so I started stocking my bar and bringing cocktail hour home. While my lovely, sun-drenched, 250-square-foot studio was, well, 250 square feet, there was a roof. It wasn’t much, but it was big with a view of Manhattan. In good weather, the roof became an extension of my apartment: a dining room, a living room, a place to gather to watch the sun drop and usher in the evening, drinks in hand.“ When she…
