Easter Drink Review with Cocktail and Biscuit Recipe: Portafortuna XO*

[Ad-gifted] The Easter holidays are approaching and any celebration in our house is an excuse for treats! But this isn’t a kids’ treat this is for the adults. We are featuring Portafortuna XO a new after-dinner drink which is a blend of Vintage Port and XO Brandy.

So, if you’re planning to do a bit of family entertaining and you want a perfect drink to finish your meal then be sure to keep reading and find out how to create your own Portafortuna XO Cocktail paired with some delicious Snickerdoodles cookies.

What I thought of Portafortuna

Portafortuna arrived in a beautiful bag, with a book, a bag of chocolates (that had a couple of good luck charms and bracelets inside) and a book of Portafortuna cocktails to make. The presentation makes this such a special gift. Ideal if you are visiting family or friends this Easter. What’s more, is the ethos of the brand and how it recognises the importance of heritage and the origins of Brandy and Port. It’s also obvious how carefully crafted Portafortuna is and how the brandy and port have been delicately blended to create this unique drink.

Portafortuna has described its Signature notes as, Dark Chocolate, Burnt Orange, Rich Vanilla and Black Cherry. This is a mellow drink, much more mellow than brandy and perhaps not as rich tasting as Port, however, its pleasant notes of cherry and vanilla came through the most. Comparable to its base drinks I would say this tastes relatively light and would be a great base for a cocktail.

I am choosing to make this into a cherry and lime cocktail, called Fortuna Time with some yummy snickerdoodle cookies – perfect as an after-dinner Easter treat! Carry on reading to get hold of both recipes and instructions on how to make them as an Easter dessert alternative. The cocktail I have created is a light and easy-to-drink one – but remember you can always have a glass of neat Portafortuna and drink this with the snickerdoodles as they are perfect dipped in!

For the cocktail…

Fortuna Time

1/2 lime juiced
80ml of Portafortuna
40ml of sour maraschino-style cherry syrup (from the jar of cherries)
100ml sparkling spring water
1 tsp of dark brown sugar
ice, lime wedge and two cherries to serve

This can all be made in the glass you are using and you can use a straw to stir it together.

Start with a few cubes of ice in the glass, followed by the lime juice, Portafortuna and cherry syrup, mix all this in the ice until it’s chilled and then add your 100ml of sparkling water and the tsp of brown sugar which will gradually sink into the drink. Serve it with two to three snickerdoodles (yes literally the silliest name for a biscuit).

Snickerdoodles Recipe

1 cup of unsalted butter
1 cup of sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp of vanilla
2 3/4 cups of plain flour
1 tsp of cream of tarter
1/2 of bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp of salt

5 – 6 tbsp for the sugar
If making cinnamon sugar, add 1-2 tsp of ground cinnamon to the sugar

Method
Heat the oven to 175C
Mix the butter and sugar until soft and creamy (4-5 min).  Scrape the side and add the vanilla and eggs – mix for a further 1-2 min.  Add the dry ingredients (flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tarter), mix gently until combined.
Chill the dough for 30 minutes

Use a tsp to measure the amount of dough, then roll it into balls and roll into either cinnamon sugar or regular sugar and then press it down slightly – or you can leave it in a ball shape and your cookie will be in this case a little thicker. Place them on a lined baking tray and bake for 10 min or until slightly golden.

Where can you buy this gorgeous bottle of Portafortuna XO and how much is it?

The bottle retails at a reasonable price of £28.50 with free shipping in the UK and you can purchase a bottle for yourself from here.

About Portafortuna XO

Has blended a 2016 vintage port and 12-year-old XO brandy. The flavours have been enriched with cognac and a filled with charm and good fortune. Its hand-crafted flavours are natural and are what give Portofortuna its true charm.

The common link with both drinks is the grape and the varieties and places in which they are grown gives each one their distinct flavour. Portafortuna is the perfect after-dinner drink that brings good luck to those who enjoy it and takes it with them wherever they go.

Review by: Lex Ward

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Easter Drinks Review and Cocktail Recipe: Warnink’s Easter Fizz

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