After an unintended break, food for fun is ready to climb back on the Cocktail U train in search of the perfect cocktail for last post’s Cheese Soufflé. This seemed a tricky pairing. While wine and cheese go together like, well, wine and cheese, I can’t think of many mixed drinks I’d want to sip alongside a mixture of cheese, eggs, and bread. So I asked this question: What would Great-aunt Helen do?
And the answer is that she would drink sherry. Though I was too young to join her in a glass of this fortified wine, I remember seeing her sip sherry from a small, pretty stemmed glass. It means the world to me that I now have one of her original glasses and can sip sherry from it, just as she did back in the day.
Sherry by itself, though, does not a cocktail make. To my trusty collection of cocktail books I turned, where I found what sounded to be a lovely sherry-based drink in The Savoy Cocktail Book.
Ordered from Amazon after reading about it on another Word Press blog, Savoy is old-school. Originally published in 1930, this book celebrates the famed London Savoy Hotel bar. Without so much as an index, it was challenging to search, but because the drinks are alphabetized, I turned to S for sherry and found this little gem:
I mixed a Sherry Cocktail to the best of my ability (Who’s to say exactly how much sherry is “1 Glass”?) and enjoyed the results.
Pretty as can be, strained into Great-aunt Helen’s classy vintage sherry glass, this amber-colored drink was bracing. Only slightly sweet, it was meant for sipping, and would make a nice foil for a rich and creamy cheesy soufflé.
Though it’s becoming vogue again, sherry is often thought of as a drink best suited for old ladies. There may be some truth to this as Helen was one of those older ladies–at least when I knew her. But I’ve always enjoyed sherry as well (and I’m not OLD), especially the sweeter “cream” style. That it mixes well into a cocktail is a lovely bonus.
A Sherry Cocktail toast, then, in memory of Great-aunt Helen. And a toast to you as well: Thank you for stopping over. Next week we’ll find another recipe in Helen’s collection that needs making.
food for fun 
Glad to see you back! I like sherry–I used to get an Amontillado that made me happy–it tasted good and I liked the creepy EA Poe overtones. Your sherry glass is just lovely–lucky you!
Thanks, Kerry. Funny, but I bought an Amontillado to try it, along with my usual cream, and wasn’t sure I liked how nutty it was. Maybe I didn’t buy a high-end enough brand? Somehow seemed bitter and almost meaty??? lol, EAPoe. Perfect! You and I would have so much fun sharing our vintage glassware, linens, etc. It’s so much fun to have pieces that surely had a story in another life 😀
Gosh–and it’s been a few years since I’ve had it and I can’t remember the taste too clearly now (bourbon has burned the other tastes out of my mouth!) Yes, I wish the US was smaller or that all my blog pals lived within 50 miles so we could get together and have real fun!
Cheer Liz and Aunt Helen!!! Love the cocktail glass!! 🙂
Cheers to you, too, Amy! Speaking of booze, have you sampled your Maker’s yet?
No Liz I have not gotten down there but this year for sure!!! I promise!! 🙂
Cheers dear.. Your cocktail glass is impressive
Thank you 🙂
That glass is the bomb. I can’t often get on board with the oft-quoted Oprah, but I do recall her saying that drinking ice water out of a fancy glass made it more fun than out of a plastic bottle. Schmance it up! Wear some pearls! I was honored to get three of my grandmothers rose-etched glasses when she passed. Two have since shattered, and not in a jealous rage–it’s that dang gravity that is also pulling my chins down that did it–but I do hold sacred that little glass from which she used to sip, so I understand how neat it is for you to have that glass. I can’t say I’ve had sherry, only read about in the series where Father Timothy drinks it. So if it’s good enough for a priest, it’s good enough for me. I would have to learn how to this thing called “sip” of which you speak.
bahahaha, this thing called “sip.” You’re funny. Who praytell is Father Timothy? Sherry does seem like a priest’s drink.
And yes, I will wear pearls next time I sip sherry. Nice that you have your grandmother’s glasses, but not nice two shattered. Better luck to the third and final.
He’s in a book series about a town called Mitford. If I drank sherry, I would probably oversip and start singing, “Oh, Sherry.”
Hi Liz and cheers to you – it’s always happy hour when Liz is in the kitchen. Bracing, that’s quite the word! 🙂 Not so sure I am convinced this one goes on my list.. 🙂
Cheers to YOU, Bonnie 🙂 Yes, happy hour is important here as mamma often needs a break. This cocktail doesn’t go down easily (because it’s “bracing,” of course), but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth the effort. Though given the choice, I will always take your Mama’s Manhattan or Bonnie’s Cherry Bombe. (preferably one of each)
So glad to have you back, young Liz. I always thought of Sherry as a sweet sipping drink from back in the day of my dad’s cocktail drinking days, something the women would order. Whadda I know? The orange bitters in the recipe sound good to me. I’d take a sip to test it out.
funny how I am young to you and ancient to my kids. Ha. Yes, sherry is exactly a sweet sipping drink from back in the day. You’ve pegged it exactly. I’ll bring my orange bitters with me whenever I finally make it to Syracuse 🙂 Thanks for stopping over, Mark.
Don’t you like it that you’re young to me and old to your kids, Liz? 🙂 You need that in life, my friend.
nice to see you again, liz and here’s to helen!
Thanks, Beth. Be sure to include yourself in that toast 🙂 To you!!!
Sherry is wonderful! I always have some in the kitchen. When roasting a chicken I find it makes the best gravy (the dry variety).
sherry-based chicken gravy? I am so in! That sounds lovely.
Glad to see you back! This drink looks great and I especially love the glass. I also have been known to put drinks in “fancy” glasses. It just makes life more fun. I always have fruit juice spritzer in nice glasses when pregnant since I couldn’t have real drinks in my glasses! The boys also love. using champagne flutes at brunch! Somehow we sound like a bunch of lushes!
Thanks, Gretchen. Trust you are feeling better? Fancy glassware is good 🙂 I aspire to be a lush (haha), but being a mom is not conducive to the lifestyle 😉 You have the same thing going on, I’d bet.
Yes, finally feeling normal again. Better yet I can eat fruits and veggies again and more importantly drink! I would love to sit and sip cocktails or wine all the time too but it does indeed conflict with my “mom schedule”! Thanks goodness for weekends and early bedtimes!
Your cocktail in the proper glass sounds perfect. 🙂
thanks, Karen!
Liz–love the vintage cocktail served in what looks like an Imperial Candlewick sherry glass. I raise one of my grandmother’s to you and Aunt Helen. And welcome back!
oh good gosh, you know what kind of glass it is? Impressed! Appreciate your kind wishes 🙂
The only reason I know is I inherited a few pieces myself. Reminds me of my grandparents. 🙂
My Mom and Dad had sherry around, sometimes her ‘go to’ drink is Sangria or Lambrusco. But during the holidays, Liz, she likes to have Sherry or Bailey’s or Egg Nog with Rum in it. The Sherry Cocktail sounds really good and must try it sometime soon!
sherry in sangria? Intriguing! I can see it with egg nog. Sweet and creamy, yes. Can also see you enjoying sherry. Hope you’re having a good weekend.
An excellent way to drink more sherry! I love sherry & also uses it in cooking & baking & in home-made sherry vanilla extract, you know that, right? xxx
Yep, always good to have a reason to sip more sherry 🙂 Do you have a favorite kind, Sophie? I hadn’t realized there were so many variations–dry, extra dry, amontllado, etc.