Holiday Cocktails Featuring Port Wine

Whether you’re hosting a holiday party or looking for the perfect gift, get into the spirit of the season with Sandeman Porto. Port is a fortified wine from Portugal which is most commonly enjoyed as a dessert wine because it is elegant, rich and sweet. There are several styles of Port, including red, white, rosé and an aged style called Tawny Port. There are many excellent Ports that make fine sipping wines and, depending on age, vintage and quality, can cost several hundred dollars. But you need not spend that much to enjoy an excellent Port – my fave, the 20-year Tawny Port is priced around $45.

Specially selected Portos are chosen for ageing in wooden casks, which concentrates their fruit and flavour. The colour matures from deep ruby through to amber, producing a rare and delicious Tawny Porto. Maturity and fruit are harmoniously balanced, creating the perfect conclusion to a meal and inspiration for lingering. The simplest and most traditional way of serving Port is as an after dinner digestif in a cordial glass, or with ice in an Old Fashioned (rocks) glass.

Sandeman on the Rocks

60 ml of Sandeman Founders Reserve Porto
Glass: Rocks glass (Old Fashioned glass)

Put ice in a tumbler, add Sandeman Porto Founders Reserve over ice and stir well with a bar spoon. Garnish with a slice of Orange and a fresh sprig of mint.

Sandeman 20 Year Tawny Port has a rich yet elegant combination of flavors – dried apricots, honey, nuts, spices, vanilla – creates an endlessly complex wine that unfolds smoothly and develops in the mouth. These warming seasonal flavors make it an ideal spirit for holiday entertaining. I especially love this Ciderhouse Punch recipe created by renowned mixologist Jonathan Pogash, aka the Cocktail Guru, that enhances the Tawny 20-year’s spiciness with apple cider, bright citrus, and snappy ginger.

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Ciderhouse Punch

A delightful punch or cocktail that highlights the lovely warm seasonal flavors and spiciness of Sandeman's Tawny 20-year Port with apple cider, bright citrus, and snappy ginger.

Course: Drinks

Servings: 20 cups

Author: Jonathan Pogash

Ingredients

• 1 bottle Sandeman Porto Founders Reserve
• 20 ounces of apple cider
• 10 ounces of fresh lemon juice
• 10 ounces of ginger syrup
• Sliced apples and lemons for garnish
• Serving: Punch bowl and cups

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients into a punch bowl with ice and stir well.
2. Serve with sliced apples and lemons inside the bowl

Recipe Notes

* I substituted Domaine Canton French Ginger Liqueur.

Don't wait for your next party to enjoy this drink! For the two cocktails shown, I mixed 2 ounces Sandeman 20-year Tawny Port, 1 ounce Canton Ginger liqueur, and about a teaspoon of fresh Meyer lemon juice in a mixing glass. Stir with a bar spoon. Divide into two Old Fashioned glasses containing one large ice cube each and top with sparkling apple cider. Garnish with an apple and lemon slice.

Here are two more Port cocktails that you might like to try, and visit Sandeman’s website for more Port cocktail inspiration.

Sandeman Royal

2 ounces Sandeman 20 Years Old Tawny Porto
Splash of Chivas Regal 12 Year-Old
Orange twist for garnish

Glass: Martini glass
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice.
Shake vigorously for at least 45 seconds.
Strain and serve in a chilled martini glass.
Garnish with an orange twist. Serve in a martini glass.

Sandeman Sparkler

65 ml of Sandeman Porto Founders Reserve
80 ml of Mumm Cordon Rouge Champagne
Grape for garnish

Glass: Champagne flute
Pour the ingredients (both well chilled) in a Champagne flute and stir with a bar spoon.
Garnish with a single grape
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Some Suggested Pairings
* Try the 20 Year Old Tawny Porto with roasted duck.
* Pair Sandeman 40 Year Old Tawny Porto with intense cheeses. 
* Try the Sandeman 2011 Vintage Porto with chocolate – a classic pairing for a reason.

Gifts Ideas
* For the porto connoisseur in your life, give them 100 years worth of porto by gifting them the entire collection of Sandeman Aged Tawnies, including 10, 20, 30 and 40 Year Old Tawny Portos. SRP: $330
* The Sandeman Founders Reserve Gift Pack includes a decorative limited edition tin and makes the perfect gift for the cocktail lover on your list. SRP: $20
* Cask 33, a 50-year-old blend of Aged Tawny, was laid down in the early 1960s and included wines up to 70 years of age. If you are looking for something extra special to give this holiday season, I would recommend gifting Cask 33. SRP: $730
* Hat & Cape, a limited edition 2000 Vintage Porto, was released to commemorate Sandeman’s 225th anniversary and would make a great gift for the collector on your list. SRP: $100

You might also be interested in:

5 Everyday Foods That Go Well with Port Wine

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post and all opinions are my own. Thank you to Sandeman Porto for sending me the 20-year Tawny Port for tasting and recipe development.