This sweet, fortified wine is a total star in cocktails. You might be furrowing your eyebrows at this, and nobody blames you for being skeptical. But consider this - port is a sugary, sweeter style of wine. With this, the idea of a port cocktail is actually quite alluring. And yes, they are that delicious.
Port New York Sour
You know the New York sour, a whiskey sour topped with a float of merlot or cabernet, but did you know you can give it that same treatment with a bit of tawny port?
Ingredients
- 2 ounces bourbon
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- 1 egg white
- Ice
- 1 ounce tawny port
- Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white.
- Dry shake (without ice) for approximately 45 seconds to mix ingredients and create a froth.
- Add ice to shaker.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Slowly float port on top by pouring down the back of a bar spoon, careful not to mix.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
Port Old-Fashioned
Swap around the simple syrup for the sweet tawny port instead. This old-fashioned looks wonderful in your head next to a book and a cozy blanket.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces bourbon
- ¾ ounce tawny port
- ¼ ounce maple syrup
- 3-4 dashes aromatic bitters
- 1-2 dashes orange bitters
- Ice
- Orange wheel for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, bourbon, port, maple syrup, and bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with an orange wheel.
Port Negroni
Tawny port takes the place of sweet vermouth (are you sensing a theme?) in the softer version of the classic negroni.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces gin
- 1½ ounce Campari
- 1½ ounce tawny port
- Ice
- Orange twist for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, gin, Campari, and tawny port.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with an orange twist.
White Port and Tonic
White port has a stronger flavor of honey and vanilla, with a hint of citrus and oak. Stir that up with some tonic water and you have a heavenly highball.
Ingredients
- 2½ ounces white port
- Ice
- Tonic water to top off
- Orange slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball or rocks glass, add ice and white port.
- Top off with tonic water.
- Stir briefly to mix.
- Garnish with an orange slice.
Port Manhattan
Vermouth who? Put the ruby port to good use in a Manhattan riff that's a little boozier than others, so take care you don't take a nap on a bench in Central Park.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces rye whiskey
- 1 ounce ruby port
- 1-2 dashes aromatic bitters
- Ice
- Cocktail cherry for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, rye, port, and bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a cocktail cherry if desired.
Port Cosmo
There's no need to click your ruby port together for a little bit of magic. Not for this cosmo riff, at least.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces ruby port
- ¾ ounce orange liqueur
- ½ ounce cranberry juice
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, port, orange liqueur, cranberry juice, and lime juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Port Lemonade
Here's a sweet and sour and boozy drink that'll be your new favorite brunch drunk as you lounge on your deck in the sunshine.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounce citron vodka
- ¾ ounce ruby port
- Ice
- Lemonade to top off
- Lemon slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass, add ice, citron vodka, and port.
- Top off with lemonade.
- Stir to mix.
- Garnish with a lemon slice.
Dip Into the World of Port Cocktails
Port is more than just something you find at the bottom of a dessert menu or in your father's hand. Port is a versatile cocktail ingredient that can breathe new life into your favorite classic or turn lemons into a balanced lemonade. There's no limit to what you can do with port. Why not start now?
