Best digestifs to try

Explore our favourite digestifs, then check out our guides to the best aperitifs, vermouths and international gins.

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Digestifs are drunk to aid digestion after a meal, usually neat or with ice. Unlike aperitifs, they tend to be sweeter, with a higher ABV, and range from brandy, port, sherry and liqueurs to bitter, herbal amaros such as Averna and Fernet Branca.

Feel free, however, to play around with these categories. For example, a sweet liqueur could work well mixed with tonic or sparkling water as an aperitif, while drinks such as earthy Cynar work equally well in a pre-dinner spritz as they do sipped neat after a rich supper.

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Best digestifs to try at a glance

• Best classic amaro: Amaro Averna, £21.99
• Best unique digestif: Escubac, £27.24
• Best for cider fans: Thistly Cross Traditional Cider Liqueur, £29.95
• Best bitter digestif: Cynar, £16.86
• Best flavoured amaro: Mr Black Coffee Amaro, £33.24
• Best non-alcoholic digestif: Feragaia, £22.75

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Best digestifs to try in 2023

Amaro Averna

Best classic amaro

This classic Italian amaro was created in Sicily in 1868. Spicy and vibrantly bittersweet, with coffee, chocolate and bitter orange notes.

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Escubac

Best unique digestif

Distilled with the likes of caraway, cardamom, nutmeg, citrus, raisins, vanilla and saffron, this Scottish spirit is spicy and warming. Mix with tonic for an intriguing alternative to a G&T, or drink neat as a digestif.

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Thistly Cross Traditional Cider Liqueur

• Available from Thistly Cross (£29.95)

Best for cider fans

Scottish cider maker Thistly Cross has created a rich, warming liqueur with juicy apple flavours, gentle acidity and warming, subtly spicy undertones. Drink neat over ice after dinner, mix with ginger beer or try using in sour cocktails.

Available from:
Thistly Cross (£29.95)

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Cynar

Best bitter choice

This classic bitter Italian aperitif is flavoured with artichokes – but don’t let that put you off. The end result is sultry, earthy and subtly vegetal. It works brilliantly in a spritz, swap it for Campari in a negroni or drink neat over ice.

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Mr Black Coffee Amaro

Best flavoured amaro

Botanicals including angelica, coriander, macadamia, caraway and cardamom work with the coffee in this amaro to add that requisite bittersweet character, as well as more rounded, roasted and caramel notes, while bright citrus comes through thanks to grapefruit, orange and lemon. Sip on its own – over ice – or with tonic.

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Feragaia

• Available from Harvey Nichols (£20), Ocado (£24.95), The Whisky Exchange (£22.75)

Best non-alcoholic digestif

Made in the Scottish Lowlands using 14 different ingredients, including locally sourced serrated wrack seaweed, bay leaf and chamomile, this non-alcoholic spirit is clean, subtle and elegant, with warming spice and herbal notes. It’s lovely lengthened with tonic water but we prefer it best drunk neat over ice, which lets the spirit’s smoky, peppery notes shine through.

Available from:
Harvey Nichols (£20)
Ocado (£24.95)
The Whisky Exchange (£22.75)

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