Enjoying Sherry Wine Sherry Cocktails Fino

The Nutty Spaniard

Starring Fino

It’s food friendly, pairs with almost anything, and is light enough if you’re not a big drinker, but you can still enjoy a great cocktail and the company you’re with. We recommend pairing the cocktail with toasted nuts and cured olives with smoked paprika that work well with the Fino Sherry. You will notice the toasted pepita (Spanish pumpkin seeds), sunflower and marcona almond aromas up front in the drink. There is also a light green olive aroma coming from the orgeat in the drink that pairs with the powdered orange and castleveltrano olives.

Ingredients

2 oz.

Lustau Puerto Fino Sherry

1/2 oz

Medlock Ames Verjus

1/2 oz

House Made Orgeat

3 dashes

Bitter Truth Orange Bitters

1 small pinch

Salt

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing tin and add a small handful of ice.

Begin to throw the cocktail back and forth between two tins (about 6 times).

Throwing is a technique used in Spain, mainly with Ciders/Sidra and High Acid wines to help open them up. Instead of decanting, we “Throw” to quickly aerate and enhance aromas of the Sherry.

Once thrown, strain the cocktail into a Nic & Nora glass or a smaller bowled cocktail glass to continue to enhance the aromas.

Garnish with a a gentle squeeze of orange peel over the cocktail and then place a Pepita Tweel (toasted pepitas, orange powder, salt & smoked Spanish paprika) on the glass and a small side of Marcona almonds.

Brian Means, Sherry Cocktail Competition 2014, "The Nutty Spaniard"

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Pairing Fino with food

It is an ideal aperitif wine and goes well with all types of tapa, especially olives, nuts and Iberian cured ham.

Also providing the perfect companion for shellfish and fish, especially those with a marked salty taste (anchovies) or even raw (sashimi).

Its low acetic acid content combines exceptionally well with dishes of marked acidity (vinaigrette salads, marinades, etc.) as well as with cold soups (gazpacho, ajo blanco, etc.).