Looking for some new unique cocktail recipes to try? Here are five FLX fortified wine cocktail recipes to try at home using some of our favorite fortified wines from Finger Lakes Wine Country.
What’s a fortified wine? Fortified wine is when winemakers add a distilled spirit, like brandy, to the wine. They are typically higher in alcohol content and often considered dessert wines. For these recipes we are going to use two of the most popular fortified wines; sherry and port.
Below are the types of fortified wines featured in our FLX Fortified Wine Cocktail recipes.
Sherry Solera - In a Spanish sherry solera, the vintner may transfer about a third of each barrel a year. A solera sherry has to be at least three years old when bottled after ageing and sitting in ambient temperatures.
Port - A Port is a fortified wine, originating in Portugal, that is a distilled grape spirit that is typically sweet and served as a dessert wine. Ports are typically red and can be dry or semi-dry and also has white varieties.
Cheers!
Finger Lakes St. Charles Punch
- 1 ½ oz of Ravines Wine Cellars Ampersand Port or Lakewood Vineyards 2022 Port
- ¾ oz of Finger Lakes Distilling MapleJack Liqueur
- ¾ oz of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ oz of simple syrup (instructions at end of blog)
- Raspberries for garnish
- Lemon slice for garnish
Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice cubes. Combine Ravines Wine Cellars Ampersand Port, Finger Lakes Distilling MapleJack Liqueur, lemon juice, and simple syrup into the shaker. Shake vigorously until chilled.
Add a few fresh ice cubes or crushed ice into your drinking glass of choice and strain the mixture into the glass on top of your ice.
Add a few raspberries and a lemon slice for garnish and serve.
Finger Lakes White Port & Tonic
- 2 oz of Goose Watch Winery Finale White Port
- 4 oz of Tonic Water
- Orange slice for garnish
Fill a highball glass or glass of choice with ice cubes. Pour in your tonic then pour in your Goose Watch Winery Finale White Port. Stir lightly in a circular motion.
Squeeze a little from your orange slice into the cocktail glass and put the rest of the orange slice/wedge on the side of the glass rim for garnish and serve.
Refreshing Port Lemonade
- 1 oz of Weis Vineyards One Eight Three Port
- 1 oz of Finger Lakes Distilling Vintner's Vodka
- 2 oz of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ oz of simple syrup (instructions at the end of the blog)
- Lemon slice for garnish
Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice cubes. Combine your Knapp Winery Ruby Port, Finger Lakes Distilling Vintner's Vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup and shake until chilled.
Fill a drinking glass of your choice with ice and strain the mixture from the shaker into the ice filled glass.
Top off with a lemon slice for garnish and serve.
Finger Lakes Solera Sherry Cobbler
- 4 oz. of Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Solera Sherry or Hunt Country Vineyards Cream Sherry
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 2 orange slices without seeds or de-seeded
- Raspberries and/or blackberries
- Fresh mint
In a shaker, add orange slices and sugar and muddle. Fill the shaker halfway with ice and add the Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Solera Sherry and shake until chilled.
Add a few fresh ice cubes or crushed ice into a Collins glass or drinking glass of choice and strain the mixture into the glass on top of your ice.
Add a few berries and garnish with fresh mint and serve.
Finger Lakes Solera Sherry Spritz
- ⅔ oz of ½ oz of Pleasant Valley Winery Dry Sherry
- Finger Lakes Distilling Seneca Drums Gin
- 2 ½ oz of chilled Wagner Vineyards Sparkling Riesling
- ½ oz of simple syrup (instructions below)
- ⅔ oz of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Fresh sprig of basil for garnish
Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice cubes and combine your Pleasant Valley Winery Solera Dry Sherry, Finger Lakes Distilling Seneca Drums Gin, Great Western Extra Dry Champagne, simple syrup, and lemon juice. Using a long spoon, gently stir ingredients until chilled in a circular motion.
Fill a white wine glass with a few ice cubes then strain the mixture from the cocktail shaker into the glass.
Top off with a spring of fresh basil for garnish and serve.
Simple Syrup Instructions
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of white sugar
In a small saucepan add water and sugar and bring to a boil stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute.
After simmering, remove from the heat and let the syrup sit for 30 minutes. Pour the simple syrup into a glass container with a lid to let it finish cooling and for easy serving.
Simple syrup stays good for around 30 days with refrigeration.
