A little tune-up An aperitif resets a jangled spirit

Most Americans are at least vaguely aware of the aperitif. Webster's New World Dictionary defines it as "an alcoholic drink taken before a meal as an appetizer." Good restaurants will sometimes include a few on their wine or beverage lists, but what are they really? How do they differ from cocktails?

Webster's also defines a cocktail as "an iced drink of wine or distilled liquor mixed with flavoring ingredients." (Also, as "an appetizer served as a first course at a meal.") I don't quite get the difference.

In Europe, especially around the Mediterranean and most especially in France and Italy, an aperitif is much more than a drink before the meal. It describes a social …