Sherry Valance
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 10.5% ABV ∙
The Sherry Valance is a shaken sour built on Manzanilla sherry and Armagnac, rounded out with orgeat, citrus, and Creole-style bitters. Dry, nutty sherry meets a brandy warmth, with orgeat's almond sweetness and a citrus lift balancing a savory, faintly saline finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Manzanilla sherry 45 mlArmagnac brandy 15 mlOrgeat (almond) syrup 15 mlLemon juice 15 mlOrange juice 15 mlCreole-style bitters 3 dashes
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
Tips
- Pre-chill the coupe before straining — with no ice in the glass, a warm one will flatten the drink fast.
- Add the Creole-style bitters by count, not by eye — three dashes is enough to season the drink without overpowering the orgeat.
- Shake hard and fine-strain to keep any orgeat sediment or pulp out of the finished pour.
History
The Sherry Valance is a modern craft cocktail created in 2020 by Robert Weeks, general manager at The Coldroom, a cocktail bar in Montreal, Canada. It was developed as one of the bar's house recipes built around Manzanilla sherry and Armagnac. The drink takes its name from Sherri "Cherry" Valance, a character in S.E. Hinton's novel The Outsiders, a naming choice in keeping with the bar's practice of titling its original creations after pop-culture figures.
FAQ
What is in a Sherry Valance?
A Sherry Valance is made of Manzanilla sherry, Armagnac brandy, orgeat (almond) syrup, fresh lemon juice, fresh orange juice, and a few dashes of Creole-style bitters, all shaken together and fine-strained into a chilled coupe glass.
Is a Sherry Valance vegan?
Yes, a Sherry Valance is vegan, vegetarian, and lactose-free, since it is built entirely from sherry, brandy, orgeat, citrus juice, and bitters with no animal-derived ingredients.
How strong is a Sherry Valance?
A Sherry Valance is about 10.5% ABV, which is light for a cocktail since sherry and Armagnac are cut with roughly equal parts orgeat and citrus juice rather than built on a full spirit base.
