1638

1 oz Kopke White Port
1 oz Pimm's No. 1
3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
2 dash Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

After a brief foray at Eastern Standard, we made our way over to Island Creek Oyster Bar for a nightcap. There, I requested the 1638 from bartender Vikram Hegde for I am always curious as to what mixologists can do with white port. Moreover, the combination of white port with Pimm's and Yellow Chartreuse seemed light and intriguing. I assume that the drink's name relates to the year Kopke, the first and oldest port producer, was founded.
The lemon twist provided much of the 1638's aroma before the oils dissipated and the Pimm's began to shine through. The Pimm's fruit notes came across in the sip along with a light grape flavor. However, most of the white port notes appeared at the beginning of the swallow with Yellow Chartreuse's spice and orange bitters rounding out the drink. As it warmed up, I found the 1638 became more cohesive of a cocktail with a nice savory wine feel to it.