Algonquin Special
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 14.9% ABV ∙
The Algonquin Special is a fortified-wine aperitif of tawny port and Fino sherry stirred with orange bitters and served up in a coupe. Nutty and dried-fruit sweet from the port, cut by the sherry's saline tang and a bitter-orange edge that dries out the finish — a low-proof aperitif for before dinner.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Tawny port 45 mlFino sherry 25 mlOrange bitters 1 dash
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Stir, never shake, since both port and sherry are already fortified wines with no citrus or egg to aerate; shaking only bruises and over-dilutes the mix.
- Stir with large cubes for about 20-25 seconds to reach proper dilution while letting chill, not water, balance the drink's rich sweetness.
- Chill the coupe glass in the freezer beforehand since this all-wine build starts at room temperature and needs the extra cold to feel crisp on the palate.
- Express the orange twist's oils over the surface before dropping it in, aiming the peel skin-side down toward the drink to lift the orange bitters' aroma.
History
The Algonquin Special was first published in 1941 in Crosby Gaige's Cocktail Guide and Ladies' Companion, a two-ingredient combination of dry sherry and tawny port credited to the Algonquin Hotel in New York. The book's account frames the drink as a recipe supplied by Frank Case, the hotel's longtime owner and manager, in answer to Gaige's request, describing it as a favorite aperitif served at the hotel's bar and offering alternate names such as Continental or Bodega for those who preferred not to use "Algonquin." It arrived roughly six years after the original Algonquin cocktail, first recorded in 1935, a rye, vermouth, and pineapple juice drink tied to the same hotel and its Round Table circle of writers, but the Special is a separate, distinct recipe rather than a variation on that earlier drink.
FAQ
What is in an Algonquin Special?
Tawny port, Fino sherry, and a dash of orange bitters, stirred and strained up. It is a wine-based, low-ABV aperitif rather than a spirit-forward cocktail, built to be sipped before a meal.
Is an Algonquin Special shaken or stirred?
Stirred. Both the port and sherry are already still, clear wines, so stirring chills and lightly dilutes them without the cloudiness a shake would add.
What glass is an Algonquin Special served in?
A coupe glass, served up with an orange twist expressed over the top for its citrus oils.
How strong is an Algonquin Special?
It comes in at about 14.9% ABV, close to the fortified wines that make it up. That makes it considerably lighter than most spirit-based cocktails, closer in strength to a glass of fortified wine than to a Martini or Manhattan.
