DrinkWire is Liquor.com’s showcase for the best articles, recipes and reviews from the web’s top writers and bloggers. In this post, Gastronomista offers a port cocktail.

Being a Booze Blogger can sometimes be a funny thing. We make drinks that inspire people to imbibe, and I’ve always wondered how frequently people make my recipes at home. Perhaps I’ll never know, but I do know that my husband has a discerning palate, and he is a critical quality check in my creative process. He tastes everything. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

This is a cocktail that I was thinking about for a while – how to make a twist on a New York sour with port that would make a completely original cocktail. It was the port itself that inspired this cocktail, namely the Sandeman Tawny Porto 10 Year, which has a soft, sweet, nutty flavor. I wanted to play on that nut-forward flavor, so I swapped out the simple syrup for homemade Orgeat syrup. Orgeat is extremely thick so I cut it with half water, and swapped the whiskey for Tawny Porto. I topped the cocktail with Sandeman Founder’s Reserve, the sweet and fruity port most similar to a Cabernet typically used for the float in a New York Sour.

My husband/critic had the genius idea to add an aromatic garnish on top – finely grated toasted almonds to give the drink another layer of nuttiness, and I added dried mint flowers from the garden.
This sour might just be my favorite yet – a lovely montage of two of my favorite ports with a tiki, nutty twist. My critic was pleased with this cocktail, and promptly demanded another. Happily, I obliged and mixed up two more.

I hope you enjoy this cocktail as much as I do.

Sandeman Sandeman Sour
Created by Gastronomista

2 oz Sandeman Porto Tawny 10 Years Old
1 oz Sandeman Founder’s Reserve Porto, reserved for floater
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat Syrup
½ oz Water
1 Toasted Almond for Garnish
Dried Mint Flowers for Garnish

Shake Tawny 10 year, Lemon Juice, water and Orgeat with ice. Strain into a chilled low-ball glass with a king cube. Pour the Founder’s Reserve over the back of a bar spoon to float the port on the top of the drink. Using a micro plane, finely grate a toasted almond on the top of the drink, and finish with dried mint flowers.

Orgeat Syrup

1 Cup Almonds
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Sugar

In a food processor, pulse almonds until coarsely ground. In a pot, boil sugar, water and almonds until fully mixed. Line a sieve with cheese cloth and place over a large bowl. Pour the almond mixture into the cheesecloth and let sit. Occasionally squeeze the cheese cloth to extract more of the syrup. Transfer the syrup to a non-reactive container and store in the refrigerator.