(skip to the bonus episode)

Sherry, what is it? What do you do with it? What does it go with? The answers to these questions are much simpler than you might think. Sherry isn’t just for Brits. It’s actually very popular with tapas, so next time you’re digging into some small plates, skip the sangria and go for some PX, Manzanilla, or Cream.

Like a bunch of sardines in a can, Chris has packed a lot into this week’s episode. We’re trying sherry, we’re pairing them with a delicious array of meats, cheeses, nuts, fruits, and canned fish, then we’re mixing up an array of sherry cocktails.

Emilio Lustau Solera Reserva Manzanilla Sherry Papirusa – This is bright, fresh and a little briny. It’s also nutty, which is common in many sherries.          

Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe Palomino Fino – This is the biggest-selling fino sherry in the world. It’s like Manzanilla but not aged by the sea, so less briny.

Valdespino Tio Diego Amontillado – Amontillado is a fino but combines both biological and oxidative aging. You get tangy notes from the biological aging, along with a darker color from oxidative aging.

Emilio Lustau Solera Reserva Oloroso Sherry Don Nuno – Olorosos are 100% oxidative aging, which means no tangy notes, it’s all nutty and sometimes savory.

Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry – Like Tio Pepe, Harvey’s is ubiquitous. Cream sherries are blended, generally, from Oloroso and PX.

Emilio Lustau Solera Reserva Pedro Ximenez Sherry San Emilio – PX Sherry barrels are very common in Scotch aging. These sherries are a blend of various PX. It’s very dark and heavily smells of raisins.

Sherry was a common cocktail ingredient back in the day, but most people don’t realize now that you can use it in cocktails. Olorosos, Creams and PX sherries can be open for months without worrying about quality loss.

Bamboo

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ ounces Emilio Lustau Solera Reserva Manzanilla Sherry Papirusa
• 1½ ounces Dolin Vermouth de Chambery Dry
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters
• Garnish: lemon twist

SIMPLE STEPS:

1. Add the dry sherry, dry vermouth, Angostura bitters and orange bitters into a mixing glass with cracked ice, and stir until well-chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.
3. Add olive and/or olive brine to make it dirty (optional)

Coronation Cocktail No. 1

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 oz Dolin Vermouth de Chambery Dry
• 1 oz Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe Palomino Fino
• 2 dashes Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• 3 dashes Regan's Orange Bitters
• Garnish: lemon twist

SIMPLE STEPS:

1. Add the dry vermouth, fino sherry, maraschino liqueur and orange bitters into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Sherry Cobbler

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 oz Valdespino Tio Diego Amontillado
• ¼ ounce simple syrup
• 1 orange half-wheel

SIMPLE STEPS:

1. Add the sherry, simple syrup, and orange half-wheel to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. (Note: If using a sweeter sherry, reduce the amount of simple syrup.)
2. Shake brutally (this will muddle the orange), then strain into a highball glass filled with fresh crushed ice.

Queen Bee

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ oz Clark & Sheffield Small Batch Bourbon
• ¾ oz Valdespino Tio Diego Amontillado
• ¾ oz thyme-honey syrup
• ¼ oz lemon juice
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• Simple syrup (to taste)
• Garnish: thyme sprig

SIMPLE STEPS:

1. For thyme-honey syrup, steep five thyme sprigs in hot water for 15 minutes. Stir in honey, then strain thyme out of mixture.
2. Combine the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled.
3. Strain into a glass over crushed ice. Garnish.

Adonis

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ oz Emilio Lustau Solera Reserva Oloroso Sherry Don Nuno
• 1½ oz Cocchi Vermouth di Torino Rosso
• Garnish: orange peel

SIMPLE STEPS:

1. Add the fino sherry and the sweet vermouth to a mixing glass filled with ice, and stir until well-chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
3. Garnish with an orange peel.

Bonus Episode

Chris brought too much sherry, too much food and made too many cocktails and we didn't want you to miss out so here's a bonus episode from our recent deep dive into sherry.

Good Samaritan

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 oz. Clark & Sheffield Small Batch Bourbon
• 1 oz. Valdespino Tio Diego Amontillado
• 1 oz. Giffard Banane du Brésil
• 1 oz. fresh lemon juice
• Garnish: dehydrated lemon wheel (or fresh lemon wheel)

SIMPLE STEPS:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake to combine.
2. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice and garnish.

Tootsie Roll

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
• 1 oz Emilio Lustau Solera Reserva Pedro Ximenez Sherry San Emilio
• 6 dashes Scrappy's Chocolate Bitters
• Garnish: Luxardo maraschino cherry

SIMPLE STEPS:

1. Add the fino sherry and the sweet vermouth to a mixing glass filled with ice, and stir until well-chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
3. Garnish with an orange peel.

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