During the late afternoon/early evening Happy Hour, the French cafés offer lower prices on beer and cocktails, and if you look around, mojito seems to be the most popular drink right now.
But the fact is the favourite aperitif (which is simply French for pre-dinner drink) among the French is still wine of various kinds. White wine is at the top, followed by champagne, the sweet vin doux naturel, rosé wine, other sparkling wine and red wine.
Beer is also mentioned as a favourite apero and, of course, pastis, the classic from the south of France. After mainly being associated with Marseilles and older men in berets, it has made a comeback and is even a bit trendy. Today you can find pastis with different flavours from creative producers. This is, however, often doomed to fail because nothing can overpower the anise taste.
The aperitif dates back to the Middle Ages. It was at the time considered that an aperitif promoted the appetite and helped digestion. And that still applies, in addition to providing a relaxed moment before dinner.
