The Sherry Cobbler was to the 1860s what the Cosmopolitan was to the 1990s—an era-defining cocktail. It was said to be instrumental in the invention of the straw as it was impossible to finish the second half of the heavily-garnished, crushed-ice drink without tipping the glass and spilling its contents. It is this history that William Elliott, the bar director at Maison Premiere, was tapping into when he added the Maison Sherry Cobbler to the menu in 2015—and to great success. In 2016, the Victoriana oyster-and-absinthe bar was awarded the James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program.
“This cocktail was a real turning point at our bar,” explains Elliott of their complex and ornately garnished rendition of the classic. It uses four different sherries, “so you’re getting a complex range of flavor,” adding a new dimension to the original. The cocktail remains one of their classics today. “It’s been going strong for a while and it’s only grown in popularity over the years.”
Joshua Boissy and Krystof Zizka opened Maison Premiere in 2011 and it quickly became a key player in the cocktail renaissance, famed for its theatrics and Parisian glamor, as well as its drinks. “On a visual level, the Maison Sherry Cobbler couldn’t speak more directly with Maison Premiere’s style,” says Elliott. “It was one of the most popular drinks of its era. When a cocktail sees that kind of longevity and sustained popularity, it speaks to the power of the drink itself.”
Maison Sherry Cobbler Selling Points
- This is an opportunity to try one of the signature creations that put Maison Premiere on the cocktail map—so much so that it’s featured in the forthcoming Maison Premiere Almanac (to be released April 25, 2023).
- The garnish is extravagant making for a visually stimulating and playful drinking experience.
- “This can be really eye opening for people who haven’t tried sherry before,” says Elliott, who recommends it for guests looking for a low-ABV option.
Maison Sherry Cobbler Recipe
- 1 teaspoon of allspice dram
- ¼ oz. demerara simple syrup
- ½ oz. lemon juice
- ½ oz. pineapple juice
- ¾ oz. blueberry or blackberry jam
- ¾ oz. amontillado sherry
- ¾ oz. manzanilla sherry
- ¾ oz. oloroso sherry
- ¾ oz. Pedro Ximénez sherry
- Garnish: 2 halved blackberries, 1 thinly sliced half-moon orange, mint bouquet, 1 toddy straw
Method: In a Boston tin shaker, combine the dram, simple syrup, lemon juice, pineapple juice, blueberry jam, and sherries. Fill with crushed ice and perform the one-handed whip shake until the drink is well cooled. Dump the mixture into a poco grande glass. Garnish gaudily with the blackberries, orange, mint bouquet, and straw.
This recipe is reprinted with permission from The Maison Premiere Almanac by Joshua Boissy, Krystof Zizka, and Jordan Mackay, with William Elliott, © 2023. Published by Clarkson Potter.
Tyler Wetherall is the senior editor for SevenFifty Daily and the Beverage Media Group publications. Her drinks journalism has appeared in publications including Punch, The Guardian, Condé Nast Traveler, Thrillist, and The Spirits Business, which awarded her the Alan Lodge Young International Drinks Writer of the Year. Tyler is also the author of No Way Home: A Memoir of Life on the Run, and Amphibian, her debut novel. Follow her on Instagram at @tylerwrites.
