SHERRY COCKTAIL Recipes for the Upcoming Holidays and Beyond

Have you mixed a cocktail with fine sherry yet? If not, you are in for a treat. Sherry may seem like a unique cocktail ingredient, but it's history as an integral bottle behind the bar goes back to the 19th century, with several classic sherry cocktails making their way into the original How to Mix Drinks, first released in 1862.

Sherry has incredible versatility to add to cocktails, with its wide variety of styles and flavors ranging from tart and briny lemon and chamomile, to syrupy, rich and lush with caramel, toasted almond and dates. The layers of flavor that are created through its unique aging process add a complexity to traditional recipes, and even a little bit of sherry in a cocktail recipe adds layers of complexity. Whether the sherry is the main ingredient, being used as a modifier or as a seasoning, it's bound to be a secret weapon for home and professional bartenders.

Check out these three delightful recipes and learn about the producers, Hidalgo La Gitana Napoleon Amontillado and Francisco Yuste Pedro Ximenez Aurora. These are sherry brands you will want to have for the holiday season and beyond.

Bamboo

Ingredients:

-1 1⁄2 oz. dry Amontillado sherry

-1 1⁄2 oz. dry vermouth

-2 dashes orange bitters

-1 dash Angostura bitters

-Twist of lemon

Method: In a mixing glass, combine sherry, vermouth, bitters, and cracked ice. Stir ingredients for 20-30 seconds until well chilled and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add a twist of lemon to serve.

Sherry Cobbler

Ingredients:

-1 orange wheel, plus 1⁄2 wheel for serving

-1 lemon wheel, plus 1⁄2 wheel for serving

-3⁄4 ounce simple syrup

-3 ounces dry Amontillado Sherry

-Mint sprigs and a raspberry (for serving)

Method: Muddle 1 orange wheel, 1 lemon wheel, and simple syrup in a pint glass. Add Sherry and pour into a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes. Cover; shake vigorously until outside is frosty, about 30 seconds. Strain into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Add more crushed ice, packing into glass and mounding above rim. Garnish with mint, raspberry, 1⁄2 orange wheel, and 1⁄2 lemon wheel.

Pedro Manhattan

Ingredients:

-bourbon or rye whisky 1.5oz

-Pedro Ximénez sherry .5oz

-dry vermouth .25 oz

-Angostura bitters a few dashes

-orange peel to garnish

Method: Put the whisky, sherry, vermouth and bitters into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and stir well. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with the orange peel.

Hidalgo La Gitana Napoleon Amontillado - Amontillado Napoleon is part of the standard range of Bodegas Hidalgo - La Gitana in Sanlúcar, famous for its Manzanilla, probably the most common Manzanilla in Andalusian restaurants and bars. Named after the label the bodega created for the French army during the Peninsular War (1807-1814), they famously also sold to the British forces at this time with a Wellington label. The Amontillado solera, is fed with one of the fullest and most complex Manzanillas on the market. It is dry and nutty with caramelized almonds and cedar. Dried fruit, spice and honey round out the palate. Visit: https://vosselections.com/product/amontillado-napoleon-nv/.

Francisco Yuste Pedro Ximenez Aurora - Bodegas Yuste was founded by Francisco "Paco" Yuste in 1991 when he purchased and renovated the historic Bodega Santa Ana in Sanlucar's Barrio Bajo. This range, which includes a manzanilla, an amontillado and an oloroso as well is named after the widow Aurora Ambrosse Lacave, a pioneering female sherry executive of the early 20th century. This pedro ximenez is incredibly silky sweet with a brightening acidity and flavors of warm dates, toffee and an earthy, buckwheat note. Visit: https://bodegasyuste.com/en/.

Photo credit: Courtesy of the Producers

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