sherry mai tai

1 1/2 oz Dry Nutty Sherry (Lustau Amontillado)
1/2 oz Sweet Sherry (Lustau Pedro Ximénez)
1 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat (BG Reynolds)
1/2 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand)

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with mint sprigs and add a straw.

After reflecting on Belly Wine Bar's sherry-centric cocktail menu, I wondered what classic cocktails could be sherr-ified. I began to process some of the pleasing sherry combinations that I have tried, and I honed in on how the nuttier sherries, such as Olorosos and Amontillados, work rather elegantly with orgeat such as in Sahil Mehta's Four Moors and Todd Maul's Joe Bans You. From the orgeat aspect, I immediately thought of the Mai Tai and how adaptable that recipe is such as with the whiskey-based Bluegrass Mai Tai and tequila-based Pinky Gonzalez. So why not a sherry Mai Tai?
Since I was not sure whether lime would work in this drink or whether I would need to switch to lemon as the Bluegrass Mai Tai did, I made both; however, my gut instinct that lemon was the way to go was correct. Once mixed, the mint garnish added a sweet spice over the Pedro Ximénez's raisin aroma. A citrussy sip from the lemon juice and orange liqueur paired well with the fruity grape notes, and the swallow was a pleasing combination of nutty and raisiny elements. I am happier with the way it turned out than with the name I dubbed this one -- it says it all but lacks panache.