Port wine is a serious drink. It’s poured into slender, tapered Port glasses and sipped in a low-lit dining room after a fine meal or in a dark study, comfortable alongside the brandy drinkers and cigars. Its pedigree and long history have consistently placed it among upper class, aristocracy, even nobility.
Now imagine a Port that breaks free of conventions, lets loose a little and does the unexpected. You could just as easily enjoy it on its own or in a cocktail, outside on a picnic blanket or after a meal. It’s the Marie Antoinette of the noble Port world, if you will: Pink Port!
What Is Pink Port?
Pink Port, or Rosé Port, was first developed by winemaker David Guimaraens in 2008, when he crafted Croft Pink. The category has a bright pink hue, is intensely fruity, and is made with the classic Port grapes: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão,Touriga Franca, and Tinta Amarela. Pink Port is essentially a white Port wine (uncommon in the U.S.), fermented in cool temperatures to maintain fruitiness, with skin contact up to 12 hours to develop the gorgeous color.
Want to know more about Port wine?
- What Is Port Wine?
- How Is Port Made?
- Ruby Versus Tawny Port—What Is the Difference?
- All About Port Quiz
It also mixes very well with cocktails. We bring you four Pink Port cocktails to enjoy, made with the OG Rosé Port.
4 Pretty Pink Port Cocktails
Tea Time
- 1 + 1/4 oz. (4 cl) Croft Pink
- 3/4 oz. (2.5 cl) Black tea
- 1 Muscovado sugar cube
- 3 oz. (9 cl) Sparkling wine
Place the sugar in a flute. Add the other ingredients and finish with sparkling wine. Stir slightly, garnish with orange peel.
Pink Bramble
- 1 oz. (3 cl) Croft Pink
- 1 + 1/2 oz. (4.5 cl) Gin
- 1 oz. (3 cl) Fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 oz. (1.5 cl) Simple syrup (see below)
- Mixed berries
Simple syrup:
- 500 g Sugar
- 500 ml Water
Add the water and the sugar into a medium hot pan, stir until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat as soon as it starts to boil and let cool.
Fill the glass with crushed ice. Add all the ingredients, except Croft Pink, in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into the glass over the crushed ice. Top with Croft Pink, garnish with mixed berries.
Croft Sangria
- 2 + 1/2 oz. (7.5 cl) Croft Pink
- 3 oz. (9 cl) Rum
- 6 oz. (18 cl) Orange juice
- 3 oz. (9 cl) Lemon juice
- 1 + 1/4 oz. (4 cl) Simple syrup (see Pink Bramble cocktail above for ingredients and method)
- Seasonal Fruit
Add all the ingredients to a 1.5l pitcher. Serve over lots of ice. Use slices of lemon and orange, apples, or any other seasonal fruit you desire and garnish with additional slices of fresh fruit.
Old Laughing Lady
- 2 + 1/3 oz. (7 cl) Croft Pink
- 1 oz. (3 cl) gin
- 2 Fresh ginger slices
- 3 Fresh cucumber slices
Muddle fresh ginger and cucumber in a shaker, add Croft Pink and gin, then shake. Double strain and serve in a glass with ice cubes. Garnish with long slices of cucumber.
