Not Your Nan’s Sherry
XECO is the sherry-based dream of three women who have long shared a love of this oft-overlooked fortified wine. Sherry has been ubiquitous down the decades. Everybody seemed to have a bottle of dubious quality and unknown age. It was found at the back of the sideboard but came out each Christmas. It was returned to its cupboard home around about the second of January. Yes, we have a tradition of sherry drinking in the UK. Perhaps not drinking that much, but we always dust that bottle.
Things have changed. A younger generation has discovered sherry and is now enjoying it in different ways and all year round. And now there are XECO sherry cocktails which offer a delicious and convenient departure, and these cans won’t make it to the sideboard and won’t hang around long enough to collect dust. They are a surprising delight.
Yes, I was surprised. Lots of mixed drinks come my way and they are indeed a mixed blessing. Some of them are inspired and worthy of promotion, and others encourage the question ‘Why?’. XECO Spritzes have nailed it with their cans of Sparkling Fino Sherry Spritz and Sparkling Amontillado Sherry Spritz.
Both XECO cans are flavoured using Sekforde’s mixers. These have evidently been designed to work well with these specific sherries. One wouldn’t immediately think of adding a mixer to sherry – although I do enjoy Fino with sparkling water.
Fino sherry is my preferred style for sipping; it’s a delightful drink when served chilled, straight from the fridge. The Sparkling Fino Sherry Spritz from XECO preserves the essence of the crisp wine but then adds prickly pear and figs for sweet fruitiness, and aromatic cardamom for mellow roundness. Serve this chilled or even over ice for a summer alfresco afternoon in the garden. Each can has 82 calories with an ABV of 3.7%.
Sparkling Amontillado Spritz takes advantage of a sherry which is darker and heavier than Fino. It is sometimes characterised by oaky notes. The addition of Sekforde’s Sicilian orange with herby rosemary and gentian flower renders this a refreshing yet pleasingly complex drink. This would be a perfect aperitif before a winter meal, but still served chilled with perhaps a garnish of rosemary. This contains 93 calories and has a 4.5% ABV.
Learn more about XECO Wines here