Holiday Cocktail: Sherry in the Ole Opry

Name: Holiday Cocktail: Sherry in the Ole Opry
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American

Recipe: Chantal Tseng , Washington, D.C.

Photo: Lara Ferroni

December 22, 2020

A seasonal gem combining sherry, apricot and Chartreuse.

Washington, D.C. bartender Chantal Tseng’s holiday memories don’t just include fruitcake—she says the season also summons recollections of Dolly Parton singing at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry. This sherry-based cocktail brings it all together.

Ingredients

2 oz. amontillado sherry (Tseng uses Valdespino “Contrabandista”)
1⁄4 oz. apricot liqueur
1 dash green Chartreuse
1 dash fresh lemon juice

Tools:mixing glass, barspoon, strainer
Glass:Nick & Nora
Garnish:dried apricot (see note), orange peel, 2 dried cranberries

Preparation

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing glass. Stir with ice to chill, then strain into a chilled glass. Flame an orange peel over the drink, then discard. Garnish.

Note: For the garnish, Tseng brulées an apricot. She soaks a dried apricot in bourbon overnight, then dips it in brown sugar and brulées it with a kitchen torch until the sugar melts and crystallizes. If you don’t feel like taking this step, or you’re not a fan of the way the bruléed apricot looks, you can just use a dried apricot.