White port and tonic: summer aperitif

Porto, Portugal

Porto's contribution to the aperitif tradition — white port served over ice with tonic water, a lemon wheel, and fresh mint. The combination (locally abbreviated as 'porto tónico' or 'port tónico') has become the defining summer drink of outdoor Portuguese café culture and an increasingly popular international aperitif. White port, made from white Douro grapes (Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Codega do Larinho), is fortified as all port is but fermented to a drier style — the extra-dry and dry versions have significant acidity that works perfectly with tonic. The tonic's quinine bitterness complements the grape spirit's sweetness; the ice lengthens and refreshes; the citrus ties the flavours together.

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