{"id":209,"date":"2010-04-01T14:24:48","date_gmt":"2010-04-01T14:24:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/?p=209"},"modified":"2017-10-19T11:49:36","modified_gmt":"2017-10-19T09:49:36","slug":"l%e2%80%99aperitif-l%e2%80%99apero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/l%e2%80%99aperitif-l%e2%80%99apero\/","title":{"rendered":"Un ap\u00e9ro \u00e0 la fran\u00e7aise"},"content":{"rendered":"

My favorite French custom, sans exception<\/em>, is l\u2019ap\u00e9ro<\/em>, or l\u2019ap\u00e9ritif<\/em>: the late-afternoon, pre-dinner cocktail hour. Whether you\u2019re in France or having friends over chez vous<\/em>, here are the bons mots de vocabulaire<\/em> (right vocabulary words)!<\/p>\n

An ap\u00e9ro<\/em> is a go\u00fbter<\/em> (snack) for grown-ups. You\u2019ll need des boissons et de quoi grignoter<\/em>\u2014drinks and something to snack on. These vary by season and by region. I\u2019ve had ap\u00e9ros<\/em> in a chic appartement<\/em> in Paris in winter, and in a tiny medieval town in Provence (southern France) in summer. Let me tell you, a Proven\u00e7al summer ap\u00e9ro<\/em> is not just a nice thing- it\u2019s a lifesaver. When I lived with a family in St. \u00c9tienne-les-Orgues (population 800) and spoke presque pas un mot de fran\u00e7ais <\/em>(almost no French), l\u2019ap\u00e9ro<\/em> saved me.<\/p>\n

Certain drinks are traditional for l\u2019ap\u00e9ro<\/em>: Pernod, Lillet, and Dubonnet are liqueurs called ap\u00e9ritifs<\/em>. In Provence, the omnipresent ap\u00e9ro<\/em> is pastis, an anise-flavored alcohol that is served clear, with un carafe d\u2019eau<\/em>, and turns cloudy and yellow when water is added. Super-rafra\u00eechissant<\/em> on a hot day! Un ap\u00e9ro proven\u00e7al<\/em> will also feature du vin ros\u00e9<\/em>, and if you\u2019re my famille d\u2019accueil<\/em>\u2014host family\u2014this may be from a box.<\/p>\n

With just these drinks, and the setting sun glinting off your glass, you\u2019re well on your way to the most important part of\u00a0l\u2019ap\u00e9ro<\/em> : taking a moment at the end of the day pour appr\u00e9cier le cr\u00e9puscule<\/em> (to appreciate the twilight), to regroup after a day working or playing in the sun, and to relax with your friends and family. Or, if you\u2019re a poor foreign American who hasn\u2019t had anyone write a blog to teach her the bons mots<\/em>, it\u2019s a chance to sit and look at the sunflower fields, and appr\u00e9cier<\/em> that people are speaking a little more slowly. Merci, pastis\u00a0!<\/em><\/p>\n

Of course, if it\u2019s hot outside, or you haven\u2019t learned to love pastis yet, you\u2019ll need des boissons non alcoolis\u00e9es<\/em>. Try de l\u2019eau fra\u00eeche avec du sirop<\/em>, cold water with flavored syrup, or simply prendre de l\u2019eau gazeuse<\/em> : have some sparkling water. Cold water with du sirop de menthe<\/em> is my stand-by on a hot day. If you have it with limonade<\/em> instead of water, it\u2019s un diabolo<\/em> : with mint syrup, un diabolo menthe<\/em>, or with strawberry, un diabolo fraise<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u00c0 manger<\/em> (to eat), je vous conseille des olives, du pain et du saucisson sec<\/em>. Olives, bread, and dry sausage are elegant finger foods that look as good as you\u2019ll sound when you say, \u00ab\u00a0Pardon, peux-tu me passer les olives\u00a0?\u00a0\u00bb<\/em> These are mes pr\u00e9f\u00e9r\u00e9s<\/em>, but add what you like to your ap\u00e9ro <\/em>: du fromage, des mandarines. <\/em>In Paris, ma famille<\/em> d\u2019accueil<\/em> used to put out a bottle of red wine and a big wooden bowl of clementines (des cl\u00e9mentines<\/em>)– tout simple, tout classe. <\/em>What would you have?<\/p>\n

Pour mettre la table<\/em> (to set the table), you don\u2019t need more than une jolie nappe<\/em> (a pretty tablecloth), des serviettes<\/em> (napkins), des verres et des petites assiettes<\/em> (glasses and small plates). If you\u2019re dehors<\/em> (outside), allumez des bougies<\/em>\u2014light some candles. Notice how elles font des \u00e9tincelles contre les verres<\/em> : they sparkle (\u00e9tinceler<\/em>) against the glasses. Trop beau\u00a0!<\/em><\/p>\n

Respirez, prenez un verre, rigolez avec des amis<\/em> : Breathe, have a drink, laugh with some friends. Le plus important, c\u2019est de vous amuser. Bonne soir\u00e9e<\/em> !<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My favorite French custom, sans exception, is l\u2019ap\u00e9ro, or l\u2019ap\u00e9ritif: the late-afternoon, pre-dinner cocktail hour. Whether you\u2019re in France or having friends over chez vous, here are the bons mots de vocabulaire (right vocabulary words)! An ap\u00e9ro is a go\u00fbter (snack) for grown-ups. You\u2019ll need des boissons et de quoi grignoter\u2014drinks and something to snack…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-209","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-culture","category-vocabulary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t