port of funchal

1 1/2 oz Madeira (Blandy's 5 Year)
3/4 oz Ginger Syrup (Ginger People)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
4 oz Full-flavored Medium-bodied Beer (Ithaca's Cascazilla)

Shake all but beer with ice and strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice. Top with beer and garnish with a lime wedge.

Last Monday, I made myself a drink I spotted in an article in Tasting Table about drinks being served around New York City. The Port of Funchal was created by Kelly Slagle, a bartender at Terroir Tribeca, and it seemed like an intriguing punch-like highball. The drink is named after the Port of Funchal on the Portuguese island of Madeira, and Kelly wondered what sailors back in the day would have created to drink when their ship stopped there.
The drink's nose was a combination of lime and the beer's malt and hops. The sip was crisp from a combination of the lime juice and carbonation from the beer, while the swallow was filled with ginger, sharp wine notes from the Madeira, and bitter elements from the hops. Indeed, there was a lot of flavor from four not too boozy ingredients, and the richness of the beer really helped to pull this drink together. Moreover, it slightly reminded me of the old fashioned beer, fortified wine, and spice-laden Rumfustian I made about a year ago.