Photo by Stijn te Strake on Unsplash.
When in Lisbon, make sure to try this local specialty: Portorinha.
In Portugal, Brazil’s national drink and one of my personal favorites, Caipirinha becomes Portorinha: A simple switch of the main ingredient from Cachaça (sugar can rhum) to Port wine makes for a whole new and very tasty local experience!
I had mine white and at Madame Petisca in Barrio Alto — Yum!
Madame Petisca is a must-experience for sunset, take a seat on the rooftop terrace, munch on some Portuguese tapas and have a drink. Stunning views are complimentary. I recommend checking Madame Petisca’s Facebook page for updates and special event listings. The bar-restaurant with floor to ceiling glass windows is also on Instagram.
Other variations of the Portorinha are red and also rosé.
You can easily make it a home, too.
Here is a simple Portorinha recipe:
- You need: 2 ounces of Port wine, 2 teaspoons of ideally raw sugar (or brown or white) and half of a lime cut into wedges.
- To prepare the Portorinha, place the cut up lime and sugar into an old fashioned glass or another favorite strong(er) glass and muddle/mash these ingredients together using a muddler or a wooden spoon.
- Fill the glass with crushed ice and add the port wine.
Personally, I like my drinks less sweet and I love lime, so I usually add a few more lime wedges than this classic recipe calls for. - Garnish your Portorinha with another lime wedge or lime slice. Those with a sweeter tooth might also rim the glass with sugar. And if you don’t get enough of that unique Port wine flavor just yet, you can easily fix that by adding a little bit more.
Then sit back, hopefully in a comfortable chair, enjoying the warmth of the sun, and enjoy. Cheers or Saude! — as the Portuguese toast with one another.
Portorinha also makes for a great party drink and can be prepared in ahead and served from a pitcher. Instead of adding the ice to the drink mixture, I recommend pouring the lime-sugar-port wine mix into a glass filled with ice. Otherwise, your Portorinha may water down too fast. Since Port wine is lower in alcohol than Cachaça, one could even enjoy Portorinha in place of mimosas at brunch.
#travelicious #madeinPortugal #Lisbon #happyhour #Portorinha #cocktailrecipe #drinklocal