Sherry for Cocktails: Fino to PX

Sherry is a fortified wine from the Jerez region of southern Spain, and its styles run from bone-dry, briny fino to syrupy Pedro Ximénez. Bartenders value it as a lower-alcohol base, as a savory accent in place of vermouth, and as a quick way to add nutty depth to stirred drinks.

This guide explains how the main styles are made and what they taste like, how quickly each fades after opening, and which classic and modern cocktails make the best use of them. If a bottle has been sitting in the cupboard since a holiday recipe, you will also learn whether it is still worth pouring.

How sherry is made

Most sherry starts as dry white wine from Palomino grapes grown around Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María. The wine is fortified with grape spirit and aged in a solera, a system of barrels in which younger wine is gradually blended into older wine over years.

The key fork in the road is flor, a film of yeast that can grow on the wine's surface. Under flor, the wine is protected from oxygen and stays pale and tangy. Without it, or once it dies off, the wine oxidizes and grows darker and nuttier. Sweet styles come from sun-dried grapes or from blending.

Fino and manzanilla

Fino is pale, dry and around 15 percent ABV, with almond, bread dough and a saline edge. Manzanilla is a fino-style sherry aged in the coastal town of Sanlúcar and often tastes even lighter and saltier. Both are delicate and best very fresh.

In cocktails, fino behaves like a savory dry vermouth. The Bamboo, a stirred mix of fino or amontillado with dry vermouth and bitters, makes a light aperitif. A splash of fino in a Martini, in place of some vermouth, adds a briny depth that pairs well with olives.

Amontillado, palo cortado and oloroso

Amontillado begins life under flor, then continues aging without it. It is amber, dry and nutty with a hint of salinity, and it is perhaps the most versatile sherry for mixing. Palo cortado sits between amontillado and oloroso, combining finesse with richness.

Oloroso is aged oxidatively from the start and fortified to a higher strength. It is dark, dry and full-bodied with walnut, leather and dried fruit. A small amount in a whiskey drink or a brandy Old Fashioned adds roundness without sugar.

• Amontillado: try 15 ml in place of part of the vermouth in a Manhattan
• Oloroso: rinse a glass for a whiskey Old Fashioned
• Palo cortado: sip alongside a stirred drink to learn its style

Sweet sherries: cream, medium and PX

Pedro Ximénez, or PX, is made from grapes dried in the sun until they shrivel, giving a thick, dark wine that tastes of figs, raisins, molasses and coffee. Cream sherry blends dry oloroso with sweet wine for a softer, caramel style, and medium sherries sit in between.

In cocktails, PX works like a rich syrup with depth. A barspoon can replace simple syrup in an Old Fashioned. Drizzled over vanilla ice cream or stirred into coffee, it makes a quick dessert drink.

Keeping sherry fresh

Fino and manzanilla are the most fragile. Refrigerate them once open and finish them within about a week; they lose their tang quickly. Amontillado and oloroso, already oxidized, keep in the refrigerator for a few weeks. PX and cream sherries, protected by sugar, hold up longer, often a month or more.

Like vermouth, buy small bottles if you use sherry only now and then, and taste before mixing. A stale fino tastes flat and dull rather than crisp and salty.

Classic and modern sherry cocktails

Sherry has been mixed for centuries. The Sherry Cobbler, simply amontillado or oloroso shaken with sugar and orange over crushed ice and topped with fruit, is refreshing and light. The Adonis pairs fino with sweet vermouth and orange bitters. Today's bartenders use sherry to lower the alcohol of a drink while keeping its depth, splitting the spirit base with amontillado or oloroso.

Common questions

Can I use cooking sherry in cocktails?

No. Cooking sherry is usually salted and sometimes contains preservatives, and its quality is poor. Buy a real fino, amontillado or oloroso from a wine shop, even an inexpensive one.

Is sherry a good substitute for vermouth?

Dry sherries can substitute for dry vermouth in many drinks, giving a nuttier, more savory result. They lack vermouth's herbal and bitter notes, so add a dash of bitters if the drink tastes flat.

Does sherry need to be refrigerated?

Once open, yes, especially fino and manzanilla. Unopened bottles should be stored cool and upright; fino and manzanilla are best bought fresh and drunk young.