ANYONE FOR PORT?
Graham’s Blend Series isn’t your average port, it’s a fresh new direction for Porto’s finest export
T
hink port, think a punctuation mark at the end of a fancy meal. Or perhaps your mind takes you to the perfect accompaniment to round off a nicely presented cheese board. Of course port can be both of these things, but there’s so much more to the category than those limited and quite frankly, outdated perceptions. As the good folk at Graham's Port, under the guidance of Symington Family Estates, have made it
their business to prove. With more than 200 years of winemaking expertise, the brand is as confident in honouring age-old traditions as it is pushing boundaries. Take its decision to create the first port specifically for mixing, for example. Made with the same care, attention and respect that goes into the exceptional ports it’s been producing since 1820, this clever addition to the extensive portfolio is aimed at a more modern, more experimental palate.
Graham’s Blend Nº5 White Port
Light and fresh, this deliciously perky white port is the secret ingredient that your cocktails have been waiting for. Christened number five after the fifth-generation Symington family members who brought it to life, it’s a star in the ascendant.
In the bottle:
“We use top quality grapes of Malvasia Fina and the aromatic Moscatel,” explains Victoria Symington, Graham's brand manager. “The grapes are grown at a high altitude and hand-picked, then cold fermented in small batches. The result is a semi-dry port with enough sweetness to counterbalance the bitterness in a tonic but not so sweet it doesn’t work with any other mixer.”
In the glass:
You can’t help but think of summer with this one – it’s ebullient, super fresh, medium dry and laced with juicy peach notes.
Signature serve: PORTO SUMMER 50ml Graham’s Blend Nº5 Tonic, to top Lemon and mint, to garnish Method: Serve Graham’s Blend Nº5 with plenty of ice, topped with your favourite tonic. Garnish with lemon and mint.
Bartender’s serve: ROBBIE (pictured right) 40ml Graham’s Blend Nº5 20ml fat-washed pisco 25ml simple syrup 30ml lemon juice 20ml aquafaba 15ml Graham’s Blend Nº12 to float
Method: Shake the first five ingredients over ice. Float with Graham's Blend Nº12. Created by Joeri Visser, BelRoy’s Cocktails, Antwerp, Belgium; Runner-up, Graham’s Blend Series Cocktail Competition 2023
26 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 45
