Porto Tonico: Why the White Port & Tonic Needs To Be Your Next Cocktail
Yes, yes, I realize we’re in fall and careening wildly into winter. And the refreshing porto tonico cocktail screams summer. But I’m just over here clinging onto warm weather vibes like my life depends on it.
The thing is, I’ve loved port for years! I realize that is very on-brand for my personal “inside I’m 80 years old” schtick. I might be the only person under 40 with multiple bottles of port in their liquor cabinet. But I’d never heard of white port.
What is white port? And what is port, for that matter? Port is a fortified wine, where brandy is added partway through the fermentation to stop it fermenting. Most people have seen red port, typically the ruby variety (though sometimes “late bottle vintage” or fancy vintage).
This article on Wine Mag gives a good overview on white port, which I learned about while visiting the Douro Valley and city of Porto in Portugal last month.
While the aromatic range is wide, young white ports will often show notes of toffee, caramel, orange, lemon, apple, apricot, and/or honey.
The porto tonico—also called Portônica or white port and tonic—is kind of Portugal’s answer to an aperol spritz. It offers a balance of sweetness and bitterness, and is a little bit more complex tasting than most gin & tonics.
It’s super refreshing, and also a great low ABV option.
A porto tonico cocktail only takes a few ingredients. First, the white port. I thought this would be hard to find, but an interesting well-stocked local liquor store or a giant one like Total Wine & More should have it (I got mine at Total Wine).
Then you need GOOD tonic water. Q Tonic and Fever Tree are good options, made with real cane sugar and far less sickly sweet than the mass brands like Canada Dry or Schweppes.
And finally a few additions or garnishes. The most traditional seems to be an orange slice and a couple fresh mint leaves, and that’s my go-to. Generally speaking the traditional additions are some kind of citrus and possibly some herb element (rather like a gin & tonic).
But like a gin & tonic, this cocktail can be endlessly versatile, and I plan to experiment a lot more.
All you do is add a bunch of ice to a glass, pour 2 ounces of white port, add the tonic water, and then throw in your garnishes. Easy peasy!
I don’t care what the weather says, I’m committed to my love affair with the porto tonico this winter!
Other refreshing cocktails you’ll love:
- The Verdant Lady (Gin & Green Chartreuse Cocktail)
- 3-Ingredient Classic Gin Gimlet Cocktail
- “River Boyne Fizz” Irish Whiskey Cocktail
- Berry-Basil Smash Gin Cocktail
- Refreshing, Easy Grapefruit Basil Gin & Tonic
How to make a Porto Tonico cocktail
- 2 ounces of good white port wine
- 4 ounces of good tonic water (try Q Light; see notes)
- An orange slice and a couple mint leaves for garnish
Add several ice cubes to your glass (a bulbous stemmed or stem-less wine glass works well).
Pour the white port into the glass, then add the tonic water (see notes), and then throw in your garnishes.
Notes: The traditional amount of tonic water seems to be a 1:2 ratio (e.g. if you’re using 2 ounces of port, use 4 ounces of tonic water). I’ll be honest and say I usually just throw in the entire can which is 7.5 ounces, because I can sip it longer and I don’t like having leftover tonic water. Both ways are delicious.
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Porto Tonico (White Port & Tonic) Cocktail
This classic porto tonico cocktail is a staple in Portugal...it's simply a white port and tonic with garnishes, and is a perfect refreshing, complex cocktail for sipping!
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of good white port wine
- 4 ounces of good tonic water (try Q Light; see notes)
- An orange slice and a couple mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Add several ice cubes to your glass (a bulbous stemmed or stem-less wine glass works well).
- Pour the white port into the glass, then add the tonic water (see notes), and then throw in your garnishes.
Notes
- The traditional amount of tonic water seems to be a 1:2 ratio (e.g. if you're using 2 ounces of port, use 4 ounces of tonic water). I'll be honest and say I usually just throw in the entire can which is 7.5 ounces, because I can sip it longer and I don't like having leftover tonic water. Both ways are delicious.
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Try Rosé Port as an alternative to white. To step it up, together with your slice of orange, add a cinnamon stick. Delicious!
Rose port would be amazing! It’s just impossible to find where I am (I can only get one type of white port), but it’s a great tip and hopefully others are able to source it.
We have a lemon tree. My wife makes lemon zest (scraped lemon peel) and place it into a small ice cube tray that goes into the freezer. For our Port & Tonic we add half of a cube into the mixture for garnish. Another “easy and peasy”.
That sounds so refreshing–thanks for the tip!