Sherry, a Spanish fortified wine, is a bartender favorite for its low alcohol content and wide range of styles, from a light, nutty aperitif to a rich after dinner sip. With so many types (and since so many people only know about the sweet, gloopy version), it takes some time to truly appreciate sherry. Dive in this week—International Sherry Week runs November 2-8, and several Chicago bars and restaurants are offering specials and deals.
Tonight, Yusho hosts an oyster and sherry tasting at its Logan Square outpost from 7-10pm, with six oysters and a glass of sherry for $10.
Vera, the center of Chicago's sherry scene, offers a few specials. Tonight, get six oysters for $6, a four-course chef's tasting menu or a fino flight. On Wednesday, sample a few sherries unavailable in Chicago, and on Thursday, sip a trio of sherry cocktails. On Friday, you can build your own sherry flight, while Saturday is a sherry and champagne taste-off. Wind down the week with seafood paella and a trio of palo cortados on Sunday.
Sable Kitchen + Bar bartender Jess Lambert was the first runner-up in the recent 2015 U.S. Sherry Competition with Que Buena Pinta, made with two sherries, Aperol, Cynar, lemon, strawberry and cherry-vanilla bitters. Try it along with the winning cocktail, New York bartender Pietro Collina's (NoMAD) Broken Spanish, with fino sherry, Cocchi Americano, verjus, Benedictine and a Becherovka rinse. Sable bartender Mike Jones also whipped up a tiki-ish cocktail with sherry, lemon, orgeat and nutmeg. Each drink is $14 and you can add on a $4 snack pairing, with options like chorizo-stuffed bacon-wrapped dates. The drinks and bites are available through November 8.
Want to learn even more about the wine? Here's our guide to understanding sherry.