Sketches of Spain

The Sketches of Spain cocktail is a (relatively) low alcohol cocktail made with Oloroso Sherry, Sweet Vermouth, Brandy, and a bit of Honey Syrup. We say "relatively low alcohol" for this cocktail because the main ingredient is the Sherry, but there's still plenty of Brandy in there to generally raise the ABV. So don't think this is an easy going mixed drink! But then again, you can treat yourself to a couple more of these, unlike a lot of other cocktails.

This is a relatively modern cocktail recipe, coming from Georgia in the USA, originally made by bartender Kellie Thorn. Beyond that though, we can't find much more information on the history of this cocktail. While it's a great cocktail, it's not one of those famous modern cocktail recipes like the Paper Plane that has become a modern classic. Should it be a world famous modern classic? Well, make one and decide for yourself.

Either way you look at it though, the good news is that this is a relatively simple cocktail to make. The ingredients aren't terribly exotic, maybe it's slightly pushing away from what everyone would have in their home bar, but it has some relatively common ingredients that will give you an opportunity to expand your bar at home.

Total Time 3

Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients

30 mL Oloroso Sherry
20 mL Sweet Vermouth preferably Spanish Vermouth
15 mL Brandy preferably Spanish Brandy
5 mL Honey Syrup

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients to a mixing glass filled with ice.
Stir everything until it's properly mixed and chilled.
Strain into a Coupe glass.
Garnish with some citrus and serve.

Notes

As mentioned in the recipe, you should use Spanish ingredients if you have them. After all, this cocktail is called Sketches of Spain. If you want to do things "properly," then yes use Spanish ingredients. We're not ones to push the "proper" thing too much though because ultimately it's about having fun making cocktails and experimenting a little bit. If it tastes good, you're doing something right.

Going further on this cocktail and some other information about it, we're not sure if the recipe is named directly after the Mile Davis album of the same name, but we're going to assume that it is. Sketches of Spain (the album) is just too famous for this cocktail to not have been named after it. And if you haven't listened to Sketches of Spain, perhaps it's time to.

What to Know More About the Sketches of Spain Cocktail?

This cocktail recipe is relatively simple, but there’s still so much to it! It’s one of those recipes that really shows that it’s more than just a combination of ingredients; it’s about everything working together. And this recipe does it!

Some of the ingredients here may seem a bit old fashioned (who drinks Sherry anymore?), but you’ll end up wanting to keep them on hand just for cocktails like this, even if you don’t end up using them often.

Can I mix more than one of these cocktails at once?

If you like! Feel free to just add more of everything then stir it all together at once. Stirred cocktails like this increase in size really easily, so go ahead and make a few at once so you can share a cocktail or two with your friends.

Do I have to serve this cocktail right away?

We usually suggest serving any cocktail fresh, but a recipe like this won’t suffer too much if you don’t serve the cocktail right away. Feel free to leave the Sketches of Spain in the fridge for a little while if you’re not going to have it right away, but if you can, have it right away.

What’s the best time to have a Sketches of Spain cocktail?

Really any time you want a great cocktail without too much booze in it. There’s also a little bit of sweetness to this cocktail, so it can be a good after dinner drink or nightcap.

Is the Sketches of Spain a strong cocktail?

While we’ve classified this recipe as a low alcohol cocktail, it’s probably on the higher end of what we’d consider low alcohol because of the small helping of Brandy. You can enjoy a few of these cocktails without too much guilt, but you also have to be sensible.

What’s the best kind of music to go with a Sketches of Spain cocktail?

We’ve already mentioned it! Enjoy drinking this cocktail while listening to Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis. Really, there’s no better music to go with this cocktail other than the music the cocktail recipe was named after.

So go ahead and spin some Miles Davis while enjoying this drink.