an alcoholic drink that is taken as an appetizer before a meal

An alcoholic drink taken before a meal or any of several wines or bitters.

The french word used in a general way to describe almost any alcoholic beverage consumed before a meal to “whet” the appetite

Wines with more than 14% alcohol are often blended with herbs and the like. Most are called apertifs, ie: vermouth.

A before-dinner drink; a drink to arouse the appetite before a meal.

Originally a reference to an apértif wine, fortified and aromatized by the addition of various herbs and spices. It was traditionally drunk before meals as a stimulant to the appetite. The term was also applied to various other wine concoctions. In other words, an apértif is anything alcoholic taken prior to dining.