Before lunch or dinner do you sometimes have a drink? Perhaps. That drink is a pre-prandial or an aperitif (aperitivo), a drink that mortals have before starting a meal. Aperitif is more commonly used.
The word aperitif is French and comes from the Latin word “aperire”, which means “to open”. Thus the pre-prandial or aperitif “opens up” an appetite.
So, you might say to lunch or dinners quests: anyone for a pre-prandial? Or anyone for an aperitif?
