Port Flip
A sweet and creamy fortified wine cocktail ∙ Dry shake ∙ 5 min ∙ 11.7% ABV ∙
The Port Flip is a whole-egg flip made with tawny port and Cognac, double-shaken until smooth and served up with grated nutmeg.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Cognac 30 mlTawny port 45 mlSugar syrup 5 mlEgg 1 pc
- Strain back into the shaker
- Dry shake (without ice)
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with grated nutmeg
Tips
- Shake with ice first, then strain back and dry shake without ice; the second, ice-free shake turns the whole egg into a smooth foam.
History
The Port Flip traces to a drink first printed in the 1887 edition of Jerry Thomas's Bar-Tender's Guide, where it appeared under the name Coffee Cocktail, a label describing its dark, frothy look rather than any coffee content. Thomas's recipe combined brandy, port wine, sugar, and a whole egg, shaken and strained, establishing the cognac-and-port flip formula that the modern Port Flip still follows.
The drink belongs to the broader flip family, a style of egg-based mixed drink documented in English usage since the late 17th century, originally made hot with beer, rum, and sugar before bartenders shifted to cold, shaken preparations with spirits and egg during the 19th century. Within that family, the Port Flip is distinguished simply by its pairing of brandy with port wine and egg, a combination that became one of the best-known surviving flips as the wider category fell out of everyday use after the 19th century.
FAQ
What is a Port Flip?
A cold flip of tawny port and Cognac with a little sugar syrup and a whole egg, shaken until smooth and served up with grated nutmeg. Jerry Thomas printed the same combination in 1887 under the name Coffee Cocktail.
What are the ingredients in a flip cocktail?
A flip is a spirit or fortified wine, a sweetener, and a whole egg, shaken until smooth and frothy. The Port Flip uses 45 ml tawny port and 30 ml Cognac with 5 ml sugar syrup and one egg.
How do you make a Port Flip?
Shake the tawny port, Cognac, sugar syrup, and whole egg hard with ice. Strain it back into the shaker and dry shake again without ice to build the foam. Fine-strain into a pre-chilled Porto glass and dust with grated nutmeg; no ice ever reaches the glass.
