Did you know that port, the fortified wine from Portugal, lends itself well to cocktails? When we met Xenne Akpotor at an event by family-owned Graham's Port, we were immediately handed one.
Text Marjolein Schuman/ image: Xenne Alice Brown Agency
The bartender at Ayla in Rotterdam also posed for the camera for a moment. In his hands the winning creation for Graham's Ports cocktail competition in 2023, 'The Holy Communion', plus a bottle of Blend Nº12, a juicy ruby port with fresh fruit flavours that makes for good mixing. Move over port-tonic, because how we liked Xennes cocktail! Besides port, it also contains hazelnut syrup, cocoa-infused calvados, cardamom, lime and salt. Soon, edition 2024 of the Graham's Blend Series Cocktail Competition will begin. Bartenders and mixologists can still sign up until 23 February for the preliminary rounds in March. Be sure to do so, because this year you might travel to Porto and the Douro Valley to represent our country in the international finals.
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