Sherry is the magic ingredient top bartenders love this summer

Sherry is coming out of the closet and making it onto the drinks menu at some of the capital's best clubs and bars. Hawksmoor, Mandrake and Milk & Honey are just some of the names making a feature of Sherry in cocktails and long drinks this summer.

Sales of premium dry Sherry have been soaring in the UK over the past few years, with sales set to increase further in the next three years. Majestic Wine reported record sales last year up 45%, crediting a new generation of wine drinkers who are discovering Sherry as much more than a sweet drink for winter.

Now the discerning drinker can enjoy Sherry at home by mixing it in refreshing long summer drinks. Like simple blends of Manzanilla Sherry in Rebujitos – a twist on a classic mojito. And, adding Fino Sherry to a gin and tonic for an extra dimension of flavour. Or, for an easy quick mix, Cream & Tea, which blends iced tea with Cream Sherry on the rocks and a slice of orange - perfect to sip in the evening sun.

One of the UK's successful and growing bar and restaurant groups, Hawksmoor, is championing Sherry, with three cocktails currently featuring Sherry on its summer menu. Chris Lacey, bar manager at Hawksmoor's newest opening in Borough Market, London, is enthusiastic about Sherry, and said: “Sherry should take its rightful place in cocktails. The plethora of flavours in Sherry lends itself to so many styles of cocktails, from PX as a sweetener in an Old Fashioned, to the saline burst that Manzanilla gives to a Coronation Cocktail No.2 - it's magical.”

ENDS

For more information, and to learn about other long drinks and cocktails that feature Sherry, contact: angeline@bespokedrinksmedia.com Tel: 07780 708454

Images, recipe cards and instructional 30 second videos available upon request.

Sherry is widely available across the UK in major supermarkets and independent wine merchants.

10 Top Sherry Cocktails in London this summer

1. Mandrake Hotel, Sage: Gem&Bolt Damiana Mezcal, Saged St. Germain Elderflower, Tomato Water, Dry Sherry.
2. Hawksmoor, Tom & Jerez: Gin, Sherry, Pear, Lemon & Almond.
3. Social24, Walkie Talkie: Star of Bombay, Fino Sherry, Citrus, 'Intense' Violet, Electric bitters.
4. Camino, Sherry Cobbler: A refreshing, low-alcohol berry drink with a Manzanilla sherry twist.
5. SACK bar, Hot the Dickens: 40ml Fino; 15ml Gin; 2 tsp brandy cream; 1 tbsp mulling spices; 60ml hot water; Orange peel and berries to garnish.
6. The Ritz – Rivoli Bar, The Louis XVI: Macallan 12 Years Old Sherry Oak, Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth; Amaro Lucano Liqueur, Pedro Ximenez Sherry, Orange Bitters.
7. The Savoy, Adonis cocktail: 1 dash orange bitters; 30ml vermouth; 60ml dry sherry; 1 lemon twist, to garnish.
8. Milk & Honey, London Calling; Gin; Sherry; Lemon; Sugar; Bitters.
9. Hawksmoor, Coronation Cocktail No.2; Manzanilla Sherry, Gin, Maraschino liqueur, lemon juice.
10. The Distillery, The Tuxedo Martini: Portobello Gin, orange bitters, dry Fino Sherry and a twist of lemon.

Facts about Sherry

• Sherry is a protected domination of origin, only made in a designated region round the city of Jerez de la Frontera, in the province of Cadiz in southern Spain.
• The UK is the number one export market for Sherry, based on centuries old trading and cultural links between the two nations.
• Sherry is a wine, made in the same way as all still wines until it is fortified and then aged in a series of barrels called a solera.
• All dry Sherry is made from just one grape, palomino. The different tastes and flavour profiles of each style of Sherry come from the ageing techniques.
• Over 10 million bottles of Sherry are consumed each year in the UK.

The first modern dedicated Sherry bar arrived in London in 2010 and since then the capital's leading bars and restaurants have been increasing their range of Sherries. The best places were recently compiled into a Sherry map of London, which can be found online: https://www.sherry.wine/media-trade/news/london-sherry-trail