Cocktails Around the World Spain & Portugal Edition

If you have the opportunity to visit the Douro River Valley, you will experience some amazing quintas. A quinta is a Portuguese wine growing estate. I had the opportunity to visit Quinta Vale D. Maria (Aveleda Wine), which has an amazing garden on the estate. I tried the green wine which was crisp and refreshing. At the beautiful Quinta da Roeda(Croft Port), I tried Rose Port for the first time. At Quinta da Avessada, the wines, the history, the meal, and the family’s welcome made the experience so memorable. Once we arrived in Porto, another fun experience was touring the port shortage facilities and, of course, trying more port. All the wines were excellent and very reasonable- $3-5 euros per glass.

The first cocktail recipe I’d like to share is the Tinto de Verano, which literally translates to summer red wine. The drink is common in tapas bars, on terraces, and with locals. It’s the Spanish version of a spritz: light, easy, and refreshing.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup dry red wine

• ½ cup Fanta Limon (Sprite would work also)

• lemon slice

• Ice

Fill a high ball glass with ice, pour in wine, Fanta, and lemon slice. Stir and serve.

Sangria is sold in most tapas bars and restaurants by the pitcher; very popular with locals and tourist alike.

Ingredients:

• 1 orange chilled

• 1 lemon chilled

• 1 lime chilled

• 1 750 mil dry red wine chilled ½ cup simple syrup (this is to taste so you could use less)

• 1 ½ cup rum chilled

• 1 cup orange juice chilled

Slice all fruit into thin rounds. Place in glass pitcher. Pour in rum and simple syrup, and then place in refrigerator for 2 hours so that the flavors can blend. Remove and lightly crush the fruit with a wooden spoon and stir in wine and orange juice. Adjust the sweetness as desired. Serve with a long spoon in the pitcher. Pour into a stemless wine glass and enjoy over ice if you desire.

Let’s move across the border and try some delicious Portuguese cocktails like Port Tonic.

Ingredients:

• 2oz dry white port (Taylor Fladgate Chip or Fonseca Siroco)

• 4 ounces tonic water chilled (Fever Tree Mediterranean)

• Lemon wheel

Pour port wine into a wine goblet filled with ice, top with tonic water, and gently combine. Garnish with lemon wheel.

Another drink using port,the Port Passion Fruit Sour highlights a popular ingredient in Portuguese cocktails, passion fruit.

Ingredients:

• 1oz white port

• 1oz gin

• ¾ fresh lemon juice

• ¾ oz passion fruit puree

• 1 egg white

Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin filled with ice, shake well, and strain into a chilled coupe glass or serve over ice in a high ball glass. Garnish with a rosemary sprig.

See Also

Cover Artist Cathy Trione

Another fun drink to try in Portugal is Ginjinha de Obidos. It is made from cherries and served in small shot glasses or small chocolate cups.

When exploring Lisbon, I saw a literal hole in the wall with a line of people coming from it. So, I wanted to know what all the fuss was about. I approached the counter and paid $1.50 euros for a shot of some sort of liquor. Well, what I received was a strong shot of deliciousness, a cherry liquor with 3 small, infused cherries at the bottom of the glass. It warmed me on a cold Lisbon night. While walking around Lisbon we stumbled onto some older ladies selling the Ginjinha da Olga in little chocolate cups, just like eating a cordial cherry. Ginjinha is on every corner in Lisbon and worth a shot.

I truly enjoyed eating all the delicious foods that they serve in Spain and Portugal, and I highly recommend this as a great travel destination for those travelers who like culinary adventures, wine tastings, and history.

In the words of the Spanish, “Salud” or the Portuguese, “Saude!”

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A selection of restaurants and haute dishes found around New Orleans and beyond.