The word "apéritif" comes from French and means a drink that stimulates the appetite. It is therefore not surprising that an aperitif is traditionally served before a meal. The opposite is a digestif, which is drunk after a meal to aid digestion.

There isn't one single aperitif – rather, it should be understood as a superordinate category for many different drinks. What they mostly have in common, however, is a mixture of sweet and bitter flavors. The reason for this is that bitter notes stimulate the appetite and sweet notes, such as fruit and berry flavors, encourage further drinking.

Apéro, Tapas, Aperitivo: Aperitif is more than just a drink

Aperitif culture is particularly well-established in Romance regions like France, Spain, and Italy. In Italy, people meet friends or colleagues after work for a communal Aperitivo in bars and pubs. Aperitivo takes place before dinner: a light drink with delicious finger food to usher in the anticipation of lovely shared evening hours.

In Spain, a very similar tradition, where small snacks like cheese and crackers are served with an aperitif, is called Tapas. In Switzerland, the aperitif plays a role in the so-called Apéro – a kind of get-together with family and friends for shared enjoyment, for example, before or after celebrations. So, an aperitif is not just a pastime until the eagerly awaited meal arrives, but a drink of conviviality – for good times in good company.

The history of aperitif: A drink of the Greeks and Romans?

What does aperitif have to do with Socrates and Hippocrates? Around the 5th century BC, the ancient Romans and Greeks already came up with the idea of infusing their most precious cultural asset, wine, with herbs and spices. This precursor to vermouth was even used for medicinal purposes – today, a good aperitif no longer cures illnesses, but we are happy to consider it "balm for the soul".

The invention of vermouth – the starting shot for aperitif culture

Vermouth, as we know it today, was discovered in the 18th century by the Italian distiller Antonio Benedetto Carpano. Even though the term aperitif was known much earlier, he is considered one of the most important pioneers of what is known as an aperitif today. To produce the first vermouth, he took a white wine and infused various herbs and spices into it – including wormwood, which is the namesake of the vermouth drink. Wormwood is intensely bitter and has a complex, savory aroma. Probably the most famous vermouth aperitifs are Lillet, from which you can create the trendy Wild Berry Lillet, for example, and Campari, which is used in the elegant Negroni, for instance.

Aperol conquers the bars of Venice

About a century later, the brothers Silvio and Luigi took over their father's liqueur company, and after years of meticulous experimentation, the shimmering orange Aperol was created – an orange aperitif that quickly became a hit in the bars of Venice. A traditional drink, often prepared as a spritz with sparkling wine and water, which can still be ordered in almost every bar today: whether in a trendy Berlin neighborhood or at a beach bar in Italy.

The industrialization of the Aperitif: Where is the enjoyment?

Because they are so incredibly popular, many cult aperitifs have been designed for mass production in recent decades. This means: away from nature, towards (semi-)synthetics. The processing of natural products is complex and expensive, which is why today mainly water and sugar are used. Dyes like E 110 and E 124 provide a rich orange color, which originally came from a real orange. In addition, there are numerous additives and flavor enhancers. If "natural flavors" are still included, they are often in cheap powder form.

All natural, sugar-free, without any additives, and preferably only organic. Conscious consumption is a given for food today. At the local Italian, we prefer to leave this belief with our jacket in the cloakroom and happily down our third glass of spritz. And you can't be blamed, because let's be honest: a glass of Mediterranean vacation is just amazing. It tastes good. It looks beautiful. It suits summer. The slightly more bitter version also suits winter. Refreshing, sparkling, fruity. But what does a drink look like that brings just as much fun and good mood – and is also contemporary?

Aperitif Revolution with ODE

With ODE, you drink as aperitif should be today. We want to bring the aperitif back to its natural origins: Made from real, high-quality, natural raw materials, locally produced in Berlin by real people who are looking for the best flavors our planet has to offer – something no machine in the world can do. The ODE Space in Berlin-Gesundbrunnen is the home of taste: Here, we extract, mix, and experiment with everything that tastes good. The result is enjoyable aperitif creations like ODE Bright Lemon and ODE Ruby Wood, as well as many other aperitifs currently in development.

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Enjoyment lies in nature. ODE creates complex aperitifs from German winemaker's wine and the best botanicals in the world. Everything produced in Berlin, all natural, all less sweet, but with more taste. No compromises, because Good Times deserve Good Taste.