As we enter the party season, we’ve decided to take a look at stylish aperitifs and digestifs, which will bookend your festive meals. A good host should be able to offer a selection of drinks before and after dinner and there are a few traditional choices that are always a good idea to keep in stock.

While much of the time we are contented to drink wine all evening when we are eating with friends, it is undoubtedly the case that offering a range of aperitifs and digestifs will enhance your hosting credentials. Your savoir faire will be applauded and the evening will be that little bit more memorable. This will certainly be the case if you serve these drinks in the correctly shaped glasses, with all the recommended trimmings.

Aperitifs

This is a pre-meal drink that stimulates the appetite and the palate. While a common choice is a glass of chilled white wine, sparkling wine or champagne, you can also offer chilled dry sherry, vermouth and Campari, a classic gin and tonic, or – more ambitiously – cocktails. If you venture in the world of spirits, remember that you are upping the alcohol content and some guests might be bowled over by your delicious concoctions, so proceed with care. This warning applies above all to the host, as getting intoxicated before the onerous business of serving the meal is a real hosting no-no.

•Sherry

If you keep a bottle of Fino or chilled Manzanilla in the fridge, your guests will find that these young, pale sherries are an excellent accompaniment to salty snacks, canapés or olives. At this time of year, you might want to opt for the richer flavour of Palo Cortado, dry Oloroso or Amontillado, which are delicious when served slightly chilled, and will really enhance savoury, herb-infused winter flavours, such as cocktail sausages or devils on horseback.

Serve in a tapered, stemmed glass that is the perfect shape for the unique flavour and aroma of sherry. Alternatively, use a wine glass with a generous bowl, which allows the aromas to develop.

•A Campari Cocktail

Some people find the bitter, aromatic taste of Campari, an alcoholic liqueur made from an infusion of herbs and fruit in alcohol and water, an acquired taste, but it a sophisticated option, redolent of Mediterranean evenings and Italian panache. It can simply be served with soda, or with prosecco and soda. But a cocktail that is simply made of Campari, vodka and a dash of Angostura bitters truly showcases its unique taste. Simply finish off with ice and sliced lemon.

Serve in a short, heavy tumbler (also referred to as an ‘Old Fashioned glass’ that is typically used for whisky and drinks that are served on the rocks.

•Martini

The classic martini is gin-based and works well because the juniper and aromatics in gin pair well with the herby taste of white vermouth. This fortified wine is blended and infused with different herbs and botanicals – once opened it is recommended you keep it in the fridge to avoid oxidization. If you prefer the blander, smoother taste of vodka, it is quite acceptable to substitute it for the gin.

To make a martini combine 2 parts gin or vodka with 1 part dry vermouth and ice cubes in a mixing receptacle. If you’re going to stir your martini (rather than shaking it in a cocktail shaker), wait 30 seconds, stir with a long bar spoon, then strain the cocktail into a chilled martini glass (simply put it in the freezer beforehand). Finish off by paring a lemon then pinching the back of the lemon peel over the martini (do not put lemon peel in the glass). Garnish with two or three green olives, speared on a cocktail stick.

Serve in an iconic stemmed V-shaped cocktail glass, which allows to be held by the stem, thereby keeping the drink cool, but enhancing the flavours of the cocktail.

Digestifs

These are drinks that are served after a meal, also known as nightcaps, which are traditionally drunk to aid digestion. Digestifs are usually strong and dark-coloured spirits, such as brandy, Cognac and whisky. Fortified wines, such as port or Madeira, are also traditional options, as well as sweet liqueurs.

Hosts beware: once you bring out your range of digestifs you will inevitably be committing to a protracted evening – your guests are likely to be beguiled by your range of delicious offerings and may show a tendency to linger over their drinks. So only go down this route if you are prepared to stay the course, as rationing guests to one drink and fretting about the lateness of the hour is never ideal hosting behaviour.

•Rum

A dark rum, aged for several years, has notes of toffee and spice and is an excellent complex drink for sipping and savouring. For those who find dark rum too challenging, golden rum – often used in cocktails – is also delicious drunk neat after a meal. If you have guests who are not fans of these dark, complex drinks and who have a sweet tooth and favour lighter drinks, you could always in invest in a bottle of spiced rum. This is a rum that has been flavoured with herbs and spices, such as cloves, cinnamon, cassia, vanilla, star anise, citrus fruit, nutmeg, cardamom, orange peel, and ginger, and many people will find it more palatable.

Serve rum in a tulip shaped glass, where the rim is slightly narrower than the bowl, directing the aromas to the nose.

•Whisky

The most prized bottles of Scotch whisky are single malts; these are produced from malted barley at a single distillery in Scotland. There are six recognised regions – Speyside, Lowlands, Highlands, Islay, Campbeltown and Islands – and each has its own distinctive style and character. Whisky should be drunk however you like it best. Adding water to a single malt is no longer frowned upon by the cognoscenti, but adding ice is still thought by many to interfere with the aromas.

If you like your whisky on the rocks, opt for an Old-Fashioned glass (see above). If you want to savour the aromas of neat whisky opt for a ‘Glencairn’ (tulip shaped) glass, which is a heavy-based tumbler with a narrow rim and a wider bowl.

•Cognac

Cognac (French grape brandy) has different grades depending on its age. VS (Very Special) is the youngest, having been stored for a minimum of two years in cask; VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) is stored for at least four years but is often much older; XO is the oldest it must be stored in cask for a minimum of six years but, on average, is at least 20 years old. Some of the best (and most expensive) Cognac is an XO from a single estate.

Serve Cognac in a brandy balloon or brandy snifter, which is a bulbous glass which, when cradled in the palm, warms the spirit, intensifying the bouquet and enhancing the flavour.

•Herbal Liqueurs

You could also introduce your guests to the sophisticated world of herbal liqueurs. Their foundation is a neutral alcohol such as vodka, which is then sweetened and flavoured with a range of herbs and spices, such as anise, fennel, mint, chamomile, thyme, and various other botanicals. Experiment with some famous examples such as Chartreuse, Fernet, Strega, or Amaro. All these liqueurs should be served neat or on the rocks.

Serve these drinks in an Old-Fashioned glass, if you are serving them on the rocks. If not, choose a small-bowled liqueur glass, designed for elegant sipping.

•Port

Port is a sweet, fortified wine from the Douro region of Portugal; it is traditionally drunk with cheese or after a meal. Bottle-aged port spends little time in a cast, whereas cask-aged ports mature in wooden barrels until they are ready to drink. It is wine to be laid down, as a cask-aged port that spends two years in a barrel will last 20-30 years in a bottle. It is best to drink vintage port.

You can use the same sort of glass for port as you do for sherry, ie a tapered, stemmed glass, which will funnel the aromas up to your nose.

Port Etiquette

If a port decanter is placed on the table, help yourself and then pass it on, always to the left. If the decanter passes you without your glass being filled, never attempt to ask for the decanter, thereby making it change direction. The decanter must return to the host without being put down. The tradition of passing the port originates from naval dinners where there port was passed ‘Port to port’ around the table – ie to the left.