After several years gaining dust in liquor cabinets, port and sherry – aged wines with added alcohol – have gotten the cocktail call back. 

Port hails from the Douro region of Portugal and is known for its sweet, fruity and rather potent character (usually contains about 20 per cent ABV). Unfortunately, for the most part, port has become neglected, often confined to the end of a meal alongside a slab of cheese. 

Sherry, on the other hand, is a barrel-aged Spanish wine with a drier texture and lower alcohol content. 

Like Birkenstocks and fanny packs, fortified wines have spent their fair share of time out of fashion. But as with most things, it’s only a matter of time before old school becomes cool again. 

Port and sherry were once used as a cocktail base in the same way as gin or vodka. However during their current stint, bartenders are using them as a mixer – a superior substitute for sugar syrup or other flavourings. A splash of port or sherry can transform your cocktail, adding the flavour depth of an aged wine and a hint of sweetness. 

Sounding like something you’d like to play around with? Try your hand at mixology with the ports and sherries below. 

?Penfolds Father 10YO Tawny Port 

A tribute to 170 years of top-notch winemaking, this port is a unique blend of tawny elements with a minimum blended average age of ten years. That’s ten years developing an exceptional balance of nutty, fruity and oaky complexity.

Try: A Tawny Manhattan. Using tawny port in place of sweet vermouth turns the drink into a soul-warming concoction. Simply mix 60ml rye whiskey with 30ml of tawny port and 2 dashes of orange bitters. 

Brown Brothers Australian Tawny

Australian Tawny combines the best of lively, young port with older, softer wines. The result is an intense, slightly spicy port – the result of blending mature and younger wines. 

Ormond Rich Ruby Port

This ruby port gets its intense flavour from sun-ripened grapes. While it often does not improve with age, ruby port is a delicious entry-level port that can be enjoyed in a cold cocktail or alone at room temperature. 

Old Masters Cream Sherry

Whenever your cocktail is in need of a sugar hit, reach for a creamy sherry. Old Masters sits at 17 per cent ABV with a luscious golden colour. Its maple syrup, toffee and walnut flavours pair excellently with dark liquor cocktails. 

?Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry

A complex blend of Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso and Pedro Ximinez sherrys, Harvey’s Bristol Cream is a bold British classic born in the 1860s. This silky sherry boasts aromas of candied orange, dried fruit and toasted almonds.

Try: Harvey’s Frosted Apple & Ginger. Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour over 50ml Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry and 50ml pressed apple juice. Top up with ginger ale. Swirl with a cinnamon stick and leave in the glass to infuse. 

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