sherry tonga

2 oz Amontillado or Oloroso Sherry (Lustau Amontillado)
1/2 oz Brandy (Camus VS Cognac)
1/2 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand Dry)
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 oz Grenadine
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Orange Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a Tiki mug, and fill with crushed ice. I garnished with a mint sprig, but an orange slice and cherry would not be out of place here as a garnish (in addition to the mint or in place of it).
Two Wednesdays ago, I was in the mood for a lower proof drink to round out the evening. I began thinking about Tiki drinks that I could alter to utilize an aromatized or fortified wine as the base, and I ended up on Trader Vic's Tonga from the punch section of his 1946 Book of Food & Drink. To the original, I replaced the rum with dry oxidized sherry, swapped passionola for passion fruit syrup, and changed the proportions of lemon, orange, and grenadine. Once prepared, the Sherry Tonga greeted the nose with mint aromas over brandy, berry, and tropical notes. Next, orange, lemon, passion fruit, and berry on the sip led into nutty sherry on the swallow with a tropical finish.