Madeira Cocktails: 5 Recipes

The wine has been around since the 1400’s. Therefore, we felt it appropriate to present the following Madeira cocktails; classics with a contemporary twist. Remember, with cocktails, the higher quality of ingredients used, the better the result will be!

The Madeira Cocktails:

The Queen Of The Night:

This drink dates back to 1891. You can find the recipe in The Flowing Bowl by William Schmidt’s 1891.

Ingredients:

• ⅔ Port Wine (1 ½ Oz Sandeman Tawny)
• ⅓ Madeira (3/4 Oz Blandy’s 5 Year Verdelho)
• 1 dash Brandy (Cognac) (1/2 Oz Camus VS)
• 1 dash Crème de Rose (1/4 Oz Combier Liqueur de Rose)
• 2 dash Gum Syrup (1/4 Oz Simple)
• Crushed Ice

Directions:

Pour the ingredients into a glass with crushed ice and stir
Strain and pour into a cut glass
Note: You can substitute the rose liqueur with rose flower water. But, if you do, double the Madeira in the cocktail.

If cocktails don’t interest you, there are amazing bottles of wine to try!

Prince Of Wales:

The Crown Prince Albert Edward (later King Eduard VII of Great Britain) invented this cocktail at the end of the 19th century. The original recipe includes rye whiskey, crushed ice, a small square of pineapple, a dash of Angostura bitters, a piece of lemon peel, a few drops of maraschino, champagne and powdered sugar to taste.

Ingredients:

• ½ Oz Cognac (Château des Plassons VSOP)
• ½ Oz Madiera (Blandy’s 5 Year Verdelho)
• 1 tsp Orange Liqueur (Senior Curaçao of Curaçao)
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
• Champagne (1/2 Oz Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noris)
• A cherry (Luxardo Maraschino Cherries)
• Crushed ice

Directions:

Pour the ingredients into a glass with crushed ice and stir
Strain and serve in a chilled silver cup
Top with Champagne and stir
Garnish with a cherry
Note: The original cocktail was made and served in a glass mug. However,  in the 1950’s bartenders started to serve the drink in silver cups. Hotels like The Atlantic Hotel in Hamburg still serve the cocktail in the silver cup. Today, you can use champagne flutes, cocktail glasses or red wine glasses.
You can substitute the cherry with an orange slice.

Moonbeams For Summer Drinking

This cocktail is a literary-inspired drink. The recipe is in the book Drinking with Dickens, written by Cedric Dickens (Dickens’ great-grandson).

Ingredients:

• 10 wine glasses of Madeira (Blandy’s – Duke of Clarence Rich)
• ⅔ wineglass brandy (Martell VSOP Medaillon Cognac)
• 4 wine glasses water (chilled)

Directions:

In a glass mix the ingredients and stir
Pour into a chilled cocktail glass
Garnish with a small lemon peel
Grate nutmeg over the surface
Note: To prepare one cocktail, cut down the quantities to 100ml Madeira, 25ml Brandy and 40ml water.

Creole Lady Cocktail:

The Creole Lady Cocktail is from New Orleans, a city famous for cocktail creations.  You can find the recipe in Old Waldorf Bar Days by Albert Stevens, published in 1931.

Ingredients:

• Maraschino Liqueur – 1 oz
• Bourbon – 1 oz
• Old Madeira – 1 oz
• 2 Maraschino Cherries

Directions:

Pour the ingredients into a mixer
Stir with a spoon
Serve in a chilled cocktail glass
Garnish with a cherry
Note: Do not use ice

Baltimore Egg Punch

This cocktail is from the 19th century. The recipe is from Modern Bartender’s Guide, written by O. H Byron in 1884.

Ingredients:

• 1 Oz Madeira (Blandy’s 5 Year Sercial)
• ½ Oz Brandy (Pedro Domecq Fundador Solera Reserva)
• ¼ Oz Rum (Coruba)
• 3 Oz Milk
• 1 Egg
• ¾ tsp Sugar
• 1 pinch Cinnamon
• 1 pinch Nutmeg

Directions:

First, in a cocktail shaker, dissolve sugar in milk. Afterwards, add other ingredients.
Shake once without ice (“dry shake”). Followed by a shake with ice for 30 seconds.
Strain into a Rocks or Collins glass.
Garnish with grated nutmeg
Note: Buy pasteurized eggs to ward off the risk of salmonella.

The flavor profile of Madeira makes it extremely popular for making cocktails that have stood the test of time. Madeira cocktails are popular across Europe, easily adaptable, and unique. Experiment with it as a cocktail ingredient! Safe drinking friends!