What makes an otherwise ordinary meal special? What takes an already elegantdinner partyto Martha Stewart or Ina Garten level? A lil’ treat.
When you’re hosting guests for dinner, giving them something at the end of the evening (a post-dinnercocktail, a bonbon, abaked goodto take home and eat for breakfast the next day) makes you look like the most prepared and thoughtful host, even if it requires next to no effort. Of course, classic end-of-meal lil’ treats include desserts like petit fours, truffles, and candies. But my favorite way to punctuate the meal—and impress my friends—is by handing out Underberg digestif.
Underberg is a post-dinner treat designed for the strong of heart, for the savory-not-sweet devotee, for the culinary thrill-seeker. It’s a German bitter that comes in paper-wrapped miniature bottles that look like little presents. Outside of Germany, the bitter enjoys a cult following in regions of the U.S. with a strong German influence.
Underberg digestif is the perfect end-of-meal treat for two reasons: The appealing paper-wrapped miniature packaging feels special, and more importantly, the herbal concoction within has stomach-settling powers that are perfect for evenings when you’ve overindulged.
Underberg comes in 20 milliliter bottles, and the packaging instructs that it is “not to be sipped, but taken all at once and quickly because of its aromatic strong taste.” For the purposes of this article, I went against that advice and did some sipping so I'd be able to describe the flavor in more detail. The mixture includes dozens of botanicals and spices hailing from “43 different countries” in each bottle. As such, thereissome truth to Underberg'smotto, which claims its flavor “cannot be explained, [but, rather] must be experienced.” Here’s my best shot: The drink's combination flavors are at once bitter, herbaceous, warming, ever-so-slightly sweet, and spicy. Overall, those herbal flavors meld into something that tastes a little like the smell of aholiday gift shop.
When taken as a shot, the combined spices and 44% ABV give you a good shiver. The sensation lingers on your palate, giving off a mild tannic heat that makes you want to put a hard stop on further food consumption. That heat spreads as it travels to your stomach, radiating outward. Drinking Underberg feels a little like slipping on a sweater underneath your skin; The initial bracing, warming quality of the drink gives way to a calm, soothing sensation.
Sure, Underberg isn’t exactly a “lil’ treat” in the traditionalsweetsense, but the small potion-like vial wrapped in paper will certainly feel like a token of a night well-spent eating with friends.
