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Cocktail History
The Second Serve is a modern cocktail that was created by Dan Greenbaum at Attaboy in New York City, New York. Inspired by Spain and Italy, the recipe pairs salty fino sherry with herbal Amaro Montenegro, citrus, and soda water to create a light and airy drink that is also fairly low in alcohol content.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Fino Sherry: This is a type of fortified wine made in Spain with palomino grapes. We used Sheffield Cellars Very Dry Sherry because it has a dry and rich wine flavor. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Non-Alcoholic Sherry Flavoring in place of the sherry.
Amaro Montenegro: This is a liqueur made in Italy with a secret blend of forty botanicals, spices, sugar, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Dr. Zero Zero ArmarNo Non-Alcoholic Amaro in place of the amaro.
Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. We used freshly squeezed lime juice.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Soda Water: This is a type of water that has been infused with carbon dioxide gas under pressure. We used Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water because it’s light, essentially flavorless, and refreshing.
Orange Slice: This is an orange slice that has been cut into a half wheel shape.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Tasting Notes
The Second Serve begins with light aromas of orange, has a taste that seamlessly blends nutty sherry with earthy but not quite bitter amaro, and receives a refreshing tartness from the lime and syrup combination. The aftertaste then goes down with a hint of citrus along with a touch of herbal bitterness.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Despite Kendall usually being lukewarm on using sherry in recipes, we both gave this drink an easy A due to it having complex, savory flavors but still being dangerously easy to drink. Thankfully, the Second Serve fairly low proof so you can enjoy several without going overboard.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I would liken this drink to an Americano: both are a fortified wine mixed with an amaro and topped with soda. They obviously couldn’t be further apart though since the Americano is vermouth and Campari, whereas this one is sherry and Montenegro (not to mention the lime and sugar), but in spirit, I put them in the same camp. This one offers a refreshing tartness and a deep herbal quality, and it is definitely right at home in a rustic Spanish town’s al fresco cafe tables.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I am not sherry’s biggest fan, but I can’t deny its merits when it’s used in a truly delicious cocktail. If you already love sherry, I can just about guarantee you will enjoy this recipe quite a bit. I do like several others drinks that use Amaro Montenegro, so I was used to its slightly bitter flavor. If you’ve never had that ingredient before, it’s very subtle in this recipe thanks to the sherry and lime, so don’t be shy about grabbing a bottle. Overall, this is a damn great little drink that is worth trying.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.
Add sherry, Amaro Montenegro, lime juice, simple syrup, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a highball glass filled with fresh crushed ice.
Top with soda water.
Garnish with orange slice.
Ingredients
Directions
Add sherry, Amaro Montenegro, lime juice, simple syrup, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a highball glass filled with fresh crushed ice.
Top with soda water.
Garnish with orange slice.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Non-Alcoholic Sherry Flavoring in place of the sherry and Dr. Zero Zero ArmarNo Non-Alcoholic Amaro in place of the amaro to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Sherry Cocktails
If you like this sherry-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
El Duque: A rum and cream sherry cocktail made with cold-brew coffee, chocolate bitters, and a lemon twist
Adonis: A fino sherry cocktail made with sweet vermouth, orange bitters, and an orange peel
King Neptune’s Tonic: An Oloroso sherry cocktail made with dark rum, coffee liqueur, tonic water, and a lemon twist
Cranberry Cobbler: A sherry cocktail made with cranberry syrup, orange slices, an orange wedge, mint, and cranberries
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