New Port Cocktails
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 11:38 pm
A friend sent me this without a link, so I appologize for not being able to give credit where it is due!
Port in cocktails:
Spirits-wise, we thought we’d stick with the Spanish and Portuguese theme for a moment and revisit Port, the fortified wine par excellence. OK, so it is not really part of the spirits category, and Port is really more of a cold weather libation, but with a little tinkering some mighty fine, soothing summer cocktails can be made.
Port wine is made from various varieties of very foreign-sounding grapes grown in the Douro Valley region of Portugal. There are more than 100 grape varietals officially sanctioned for Port wine production, but the five most typical are Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz (the local name for Tempranillo), Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cao.
Port is a typically heavy, rich, sweet, high-alcohol (usually 18-20 percent abv) wine not only due to the type of grapes used, but also because it is fortified – the winemakers add some measure of distilled grape spirits (a local brandy called aguardente) to fortify the wine with an artificially higher alcohol content which, in turn, immediately kills the yeast cells, halting the fermentation process before the grapes’ remaining sugar is converted into alcohol. The wine then gets aged in oak barrels or vats of concrete or stainless steel, depending on style (and eventual price).
Port comes in an off-puttingly confusing variety of styles and can also be produced as a semi-dry or even an extra-dry wine, but generally, sweet is what the market and tradition call for. To date only one of these styles – ruby, which is very sweet – has been made in a kosher version. Whatever the style, Port is usually served at the end of a meal, with dessert or as the dessert. These days, however, Port has come back into fashion in cocktail form.
While the Portuguese would undoubtedly prefer that only their wines be called “Port,” similarly labeled and similarly styled fortified wines are produced throughout the winemaking world, including in Australia, U.S., South Africa and Israel.
There are, in fact, only three actual kosher Port wines from Portugal available (we’ve reviewed them all previously), but there are also some fabulous kosher alternatives from Israel (some of which we’ve also reviewed previously). Of the kosher authentic Port wines, the best of the bunch is the Quevedo Ruby Port (19.5 percent abv; $24; comes in a nonkosher version too, so make sure to check for the kosher certification). This vibrant, fresh, very fruity ruby Port offers great balance between acidity and fruit, with jammy flavors of black currant, cherry, raspberry, and also vanilla and mocha, with lovely aromatics of flowers, blueberry and hazelnut. Gets better as it breathes. Full-bodied, full-flavored.
Whether you get the Quevedo kosher Port or one of the many kosher Port-style wines, consider making the following cocktails:
Ruby Port On The Rocks: This will likely call to mind better tasting cold kiddush wine, but … fill a highball or rocks glass with ice and cover with ruby Port, garnish with an orange wedge and a mint sprig.
Port Lemonade: Into a highball glass filled with ice add 1/2 ounce ruby-style Port, 1 1/2 ounces of citrus flavored vodka (lots of great kosher options abound), 2 ounces of lemonade, stir well, and serve garnished with a lemon wheel or wedge and a straw. Delicious.
Ruby Manhattan: Into a mixing glass with ice add 2 ounces of rye whiskey, 1 ounce of ruby-style Port, 2 dashes of Angostura bitters (kosher certified) and then stir until well-chilled, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass and (optional) garnish with an orange twist and/or maraschino cherry.
Port in cocktails:
Spirits-wise, we thought we’d stick with the Spanish and Portuguese theme for a moment and revisit Port, the fortified wine par excellence. OK, so it is not really part of the spirits category, and Port is really more of a cold weather libation, but with a little tinkering some mighty fine, soothing summer cocktails can be made.
Port wine is made from various varieties of very foreign-sounding grapes grown in the Douro Valley region of Portugal. There are more than 100 grape varietals officially sanctioned for Port wine production, but the five most typical are Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz (the local name for Tempranillo), Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cao.
Port is a typically heavy, rich, sweet, high-alcohol (usually 18-20 percent abv) wine not only due to the type of grapes used, but also because it is fortified – the winemakers add some measure of distilled grape spirits (a local brandy called aguardente) to fortify the wine with an artificially higher alcohol content which, in turn, immediately kills the yeast cells, halting the fermentation process before the grapes’ remaining sugar is converted into alcohol. The wine then gets aged in oak barrels or vats of concrete or stainless steel, depending on style (and eventual price).
Port comes in an off-puttingly confusing variety of styles and can also be produced as a semi-dry or even an extra-dry wine, but generally, sweet is what the market and tradition call for. To date only one of these styles – ruby, which is very sweet – has been made in a kosher version. Whatever the style, Port is usually served at the end of a meal, with dessert or as the dessert. These days, however, Port has come back into fashion in cocktail form.
While the Portuguese would undoubtedly prefer that only their wines be called “Port,” similarly labeled and similarly styled fortified wines are produced throughout the winemaking world, including in Australia, U.S., South Africa and Israel.
There are, in fact, only three actual kosher Port wines from Portugal available (we’ve reviewed them all previously), but there are also some fabulous kosher alternatives from Israel (some of which we’ve also reviewed previously). Of the kosher authentic Port wines, the best of the bunch is the Quevedo Ruby Port (19.5 percent abv; $24; comes in a nonkosher version too, so make sure to check for the kosher certification). This vibrant, fresh, very fruity ruby Port offers great balance between acidity and fruit, with jammy flavors of black currant, cherry, raspberry, and also vanilla and mocha, with lovely aromatics of flowers, blueberry and hazelnut. Gets better as it breathes. Full-bodied, full-flavored.
Whether you get the Quevedo kosher Port or one of the many kosher Port-style wines, consider making the following cocktails:
Ruby Port On The Rocks: This will likely call to mind better tasting cold kiddush wine, but … fill a highball or rocks glass with ice and cover with ruby Port, garnish with an orange wedge and a mint sprig.
Port Lemonade: Into a highball glass filled with ice add 1/2 ounce ruby-style Port, 1 1/2 ounces of citrus flavored vodka (lots of great kosher options abound), 2 ounces of lemonade, stir well, and serve garnished with a lemon wheel or wedge and a straw. Delicious.
Ruby Manhattan: Into a mixing glass with ice add 2 ounces of rye whiskey, 1 ounce of ruby-style Port, 2 dashes of Angostura bitters (kosher certified) and then stir until well-chilled, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass and (optional) garnish with an orange twist and/or maraschino cherry.