Port or sherry for cocktails? Or both?

[Rafa]

Sorry to hear you got stuck with bad sherry. A Bamboo should be perfectly dry, the aperitif version of a dry Martini. (Though I believe Pouring Ribbons adds a barspoon of rich demerara for texture, but I don't remember whether that's the version in Shim.) Lustau Fino is great and widely available, and I've enjoyed every Manzanilla I've tried. Anything simply labeled "dry sherry," is likely to have sugar added, weirdly enough. Stick to stuff labeled fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, or oloroso—each of these grades has a distinctive character, but they're all dry. Lustau's are all solid.

[mkayahara]

Yeah, Dry Sack is definitely too sweet for most cocktail uses that call for dry sherry. Plus, as I recall, it doesn't taste that good.

[tanstaafl2]

I can second the Lustau Amontillado for use in the Bamboo. Not usually too hard to find.

[FrogPrincesse]

Thanks. My local BevMo does not have it (only the Lustau East India cream), but I will keep looking around.

[FrogPrincesse]

Yeah, Dry Sack is definitely too sweet for most cocktail uses that call for dry sherry. Plus, as I recall, it doesn't taste that good.

Your recollection is correct. But for cooking it should be fine, I hope!

[haresfur]

Well since sherry seems to be where it's at, I thought I'd better get with it, so I tried this from Jeffrey Morgenthaler:

 

2 ounces Scotch whisky

1 ounce Pedro Ximénez Sherry

2-3 dashes orange bitters

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

 

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This is a surprising drink; I expected the sweetness to predominate but actually it's quite strongly salty; the Scotch tones down the sherry a lot and the typical Scotch flavours get a nice gentle nuance from the extra fruit.

 

 

 I tried this  (Scottish Breakfast) last night using Glenlivet 12 yo. It needed less sherry (or more scotch) but was quite good even before adjusting. I'd say this would be a good one to play with balancing for different whisky or even your own blend to get different effects.

[tanstaafl2]

 I tried this  (Scottish Breakfast) last night using Glenlivet 12 yo. It needed less sherry (or more scotch) but was quite good even before adjusting. I'd say this would be a good one to play with balancing for different whisky or even your own blend to get different effects.

 

With Scotch based drinks I find it very helpful to be pretty specific with what type of scotch you are using since there can be considerable variation from region to region and brand to brand. Most of the time when generic scotch is called for in a cocktail it seems to typically be calling for a fairly light blend like Famous Grouse unless otherwise specified.

 

I would tend to think Glenlivet 12 is not too different from a blend like Famous Grouse although I have had neither in a while to really compare.

[FrogPrincesse]

Lindsey's Whimsy Shim (Lindsey Baird in the Art of the Shim) with sherry, dry vermouth, amaro Montenegro, Benedictine, allspice dram, Angostura bitters. Despite all the modifiers, the sherry still dominated the drink. It was not bad but I can't say I am a huge fan.

 

 

[FrogPrincesse]

This one is a very nice, orange & nut-forward lighter Manhattan alternative. I am thinking it could be really spectacular with Bigallet china-china instead of Picon.

 

Catcher in the Rye (Brooke Arthur) with 1.5 oz Willet 2 year rye whiskey, 1 oz Lustau amontillado sherry, 0.5 oz Picon, 0.25 oz Grand Marnier, 1 dash Abbott's bitters, orange twist.

 

[tanstaafl2]

1 hour ago, FrogPrincesse said:

This one is a very nice, orange & nut-forward lighter Manhattan alternative. I am thinking it could be really spectacular with Bigallet china-china instead of Picon.

 

Catcher in the Rye (Brooke Arthur) with 1.5 oz Willet 2 year rye whiskey, 1 oz Lustau amontillado sherry, 0.5 oz Picon, 0.25 oz Grand Marnier, 1 dash Abbott's bitters, orange twist.

 

 

I am thinking you might be right! I might try to add a bit more overall maturity with the rye as well. Maybe the Pikesville if you have it if you want to keep the higher proof that the Willet has.

[Craig E]

I gather there are a bunch of alternative recipes for a Brandy Port Sangaree. What I tried was:

• 2 oz Paul Masson brandy
• 1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand orange curacao
• 1/2 oz Dow's ruby port

Built over an ice sphere, freshly grated nutmeg.

 

Not earth-shattering, but made something pleasant out of a workaday brandy and was satisfyingly fitting for an end-of-a-long-day relaxer.