Having established that the male neighbours are beer drinkers, I’m wondering what drinks you’d offer to their wives. Crémant, I think: anything else ?
Even if my neighbour was a beer drinker I wouldn’t offer beer as an aperitif, unless before lunch. Crémant can be unisex.
But have been known also to offer whiskey, suze, various cocktails (usually aperol based),vermouth or torture people with my homemade flavoured gins.
Cremant’s a reliable uncomplicated option that always seems popular, as is kir - with kir chataigne for the more adventurous and of course, Aperol spritz in summer.
Think, as with many other things in life, it’s wiser not to offer people too many choices. When I used to do freelance graphic design, clients would be offered two options, one that wasn’t very good and the one you wanted them to go for.
Despite the above, I’ve got a decent selection of French, Italian and Spanish aperitifs, most of which only I seem to like.
Sweet Sherry?!!
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Maybe if they’re over eighty!
Vermut! Suze etc, Pineau, nice cold Monbazillac with something salty
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Nice to find someone else who like Suze! Partial to it over ice and decent tonic with a slice of orange
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I love all those bitter gentiany things.
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I can remember many older stall holders on the Maurs market (Cantal) having tumblers of Suze to hand at the back of their stall - never seen that down in the Aveyron or Lot.
Must be something to do with the altitude…
Always an idea to have something non-alcoholic available.
Apple juice, orange juice, Perrier is what I’ve seen on offer recently.
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and… I’ve seen chilled Porto offered as an apero… delicious.
don’t go mad, no need for too much choice 
Porto, Pineaud and non alcoholic stuff
My son and DIL and alltheir mates drink Mojitos when they get together every few weeks with non alcoholic version for the non-drinkers. Other than that, we have Sangria bought just over the border in big 5L containers that are dangerously full of alcohol but very addictive and hence the price isn’t cheap. I keep a selection of stuff like Ricard, Porto,Whiskey,Gin + tonics in fridge and frozen slices of lemon (does the job of ice cubes at the same time!) and the local Banyuls and muscat wines.
I always wanted to try Suze: now I have an excuze. Thank you all!
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Hmmm… it’s worth trying… (been there, done that) but don’t buy too big a bottle just in case you don’t like it…
As a slight deviation…
do many people drink Ricard/Pastis these days ?
Years ago, it was a popular choice and we always had a bottle in the cupboard for neighbours/friends to enjoy…
These days, it’s hardly ever seen/offered locally at get-togethers … and the elderly bottle in our cupboard is more likely to be used when cooking moules than served in a glass…
I have a couple of Suze glasses that are leaning sideways to drink the stuff properly. Can’t stand it myself, its an aquired bitter taste.
Number one apéro in Bretagne and one for the alcoholics (my old neighbour drank nearly a bottle each day and never knew what or where he was). There are lots of cheapknock-off versions but Ricard is the best and I like a glass now and again. Apparently, neat is good for a stomach upset.
I was offered and accepted a very special peaty whisky the other day.
I love Cremant as an aperitif, but our friends also serve it with pudding.
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Ricard is still reasonably popular round here but we usually offer Kir/Cremant or Pommeau (very popular in our part of Normandy, particularly with females) and juices/Perrier for the non-alcoholic options. Also possibly whisky for the gents.
What we have fun with when we do aperos is the nibbles - all the usuals like nuts or cheesy biscuits but my partner enjoys preparing little things in puff pastry like mini sausage rolls or goats cheese tartlets…
Yes, probably why fewer and fewer people consume it for pleasure, they were put off as children (worked for me ).