Port and scotch have a long history, as distillers know using barrels left over from aging wine will impart the perfect level of sweetness and fruity notes. But most of the time, red port or tawny port is used. Head bartender Robyn Marfurt and owner Matt Parkinson of The Monkey’s Paw in Chicago, Illinois, decided to play around with white port and whisky. The result, Partly Cloudy Skye, is a beach vacation in a glass.
Knowing acidity and sweetness would play well in a Whisky Sour, Parkinson chose Taylor Fladgate Chip Dry port, a bright white port. “Its minerality called for a complimentary scotch,” he says, so he selected one with plenty of sea salt: Torabhaig Allt Gleann single malt. “The light smoke is an added bonus, giving more complexity to the cocktail,” he says.
Aquafaba adds mouthfeel and also a visual play on seafoam, which both accentuates the whisky's maritime character and gave way to the name.
Whether you want to celebrate the season or transport yourself back to the shore in the dead of winter, this drink is the ticket. “From the peat, you can smell the smoke of the summer barbecues. In the lemon, you can taste the brightness of the sun. The subtle sweet nuttiness of the white port is like saltwater taffy on the boardwalk. And the maritime brininess of the Torabhaig is the salt on your skin after a swim in the ocean,” Parkinson says.
Partly Cloudy Skye
- 1 1/2 oz. Torabhaig Allt Gleann (or other single malt scotch)
- 1 1/2 oz. Taylor Fladgate Chip Dry (or other white port)
- 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 oz. simple syrup
- 1/2 oz. aquafaba
- Lemon twist for garnish
Add all ingredients to a shaker tin. Dry shake for 45 to 60 seconds. Strain over ice in a highball. Garnish with a lemon twist.
