Drinks with dinner: What to drink with what

When behind the mahogany, one of the more distressing miens I encounter is a guest drinking only chardonnay - not one glass of this dry white wine, but two or three before dinner, a bottle at the table, and a nightcap of it to accompany a cigarette back at the bar.

I too enjoy a glass of chardonnay - occasionally. I like to vary my potations. Food and drink, after all, should be taken in a balance that responds to your body's cravings and satisfies your hungers.

Although far from a respected member of the four food groups, cocktails have a genuine role in promoting appetite and digestion. As Richard Serjeant points out in A Man May Drink, "In the right circumstances there can be no possible doubt of their efficacy ... as appetizers and digestive aids."

You're probably already familiar with the differences between aperitifs and digestifs. Many of you, in fact, may have developed a penchant for a particular drink and wish to sip it either as an appetite arouser or as a nightcap. Fortunately, most drinks can be mixed as either. The ingredients of cocktails can be varied to fit most any situation. If you are uncertain of a recipe, consult a reputable guide and follow it closely. But once you become familiar with a drink's components, feel free to alter them to your taste and to the occasion.

The main difference between aperitifs and digestifs is the level of sweetness. Textures and sweet flavors can ruin an appetite, but after a meal many imbibers find them soothing and enjoyable. Most of the drinks that Cocktail has recommended are aperitifs - tart sometimes bitter drinks that are crisp and cold. Although there are hundreds of enjoyable digestifs, we've focused on aperitifs to avoid bolstering the trend of sweet, syrupy concoctions - many of which surfaced at fern bars during the early '70s. (Note that properly made digestifs aren't overly sweet or syrupy. But because balance isn't easy to achieve in digestifs, they are often served that way.)

As a general rule, brown spirits will produce better digestif cocktails than most "white" spirits such as gin and vodka, which work best as aperitifs. Brandy and scotch are my personal favorites for finishing an evening, but if you started the night with a Daiquiri, then finishing it with a rum Sidecar or a rum Sazerac may be appropriate.

If you find your guests with pursed lips late in the evening, it's time to start varying your cocktail preparation. If you'd rather not switch the primary liquor of an aperitif cocktail, add a bit more sweetener. But be especially careful when sweetening a cocktail: Once you've gone too far - and you will know that point from a mere sip - it is impossible to bring the drink back, making it suitable only for the sink.

To avoid oversweetening your digestif cocktails, spend the extra money to buy French cordials such as Cointreau and Italian liqueurs like Maraschino. Cheap liqueurs have too much sugar and syrupy additives to be effective, and remember, sugar is rarely the best way to sweeten a drink. When adding an additional sweetener, only use a drop or two more than what was originally called for - never add more than 1/8 ounce.

If you're suffering from a bloated stomach, try taking a sweet drink like a Manhattan and doubling the dose of bitters. Or if you're just interested in trying something different pour a jigger of fernet branca or some similarly bitter potion like Amer Picon.

I may be crossing my own line here, but I suspect you know a bartender or two who enjoy making shooters like the layered B-52 or the Mudslide. If in the past you've failed to get these bartenders to mix proper cocktails, suggest they concoct their specialties a little differently next time you're in the mood for a particularly sweet digestif. Have the mixers shake the shooter and then strain it into your favorite cocktail glass. They'll be pleased that you seem to be mellowing in your cocktail tastes, while you can enjoy your nightcap - confident you'll have them mixing Old Fashioneds, Delilahs, and Aviations in a matter of months.