A sherry cobbler is a classic American cocktail made with sherry, sugar and citrus. Its origins are not known in detail, but is believed to have originated sometime in the early 19th century. The earliest known mention is from an 1838 diary of a Canadian traveler to the United States,

Katherine Jane Ellice Katherine Jane "Janie" Ellice (née Balfour; 1813 – 13 April 1864) was a British diarist and artist. She is most remembered for her chronicle and watercolours of a trip to Canada, in 1838, where she and her sister were taken prisoner during th ...

, but it did not gain international name recognition until

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

included the drink in ''

The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit ''The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit'' (commonly known as ''Martin Chuzzlewit'') is a novel by Charles Dickens, considered the last of his picaresque novels. It was originally serialised between 1842 and 1844. While he was writing ...

''. To make the drink, orange and lemon are muddled with simple syrup, shaken with ice in a cocktail shaker, and strained into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Garnishes include mint leaves, raspberry, and orange and lemon slices. It can also be garnished with pineapple wedges or any seasonal berries. Some recipes add pineapple juice.

History

The Sherry Cobbler emerged during the 1830s and became one of the most popular mixed drinks in the 19th century United States. The invention of the drinking straw around this time made crushed ice drinks like the Sherry Cobbler more convenient. The earliest known reference to a "Cobbler" dates the diary of Canadian traveler Katherine Jane Ellice. It was included in the first book that is known to be specifically for bartenders, that is Jerry Thomas' 1862 edition of ''The Bartender's Guide''. This original recipe is made with just three ingredients: *2 wine glasses sherry *1 tbsp sugar *2 or 3 slices of orange The popularity of Sherry Cobbler inspired many spinoff drinks like the Champagne Cobbler, Claret Cobbler, and Whiskey Cobbler. In 1888, Harry Johnson wrote "This drink is without doubt the most popular beverage in this country, with ladies as well as with gentlemen," but like many classic cocktails their popularity fades after

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...

. A 19th-century recipe for

Fourth of July Independence Day ( colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United State ...

Sherry cobbler is made with strawberries, lemon peel, powdered sugar and sherry.

Variations

Rebujito is a similar Andalusian drink made by combining sherry and a soft drink, typically white lemonade or lemon-lime soda. Classic cobblers didn't include muddled fruits but the popularity of the Sherry Cobbler inspired the creation of more elaborate cobblers. The King's Cobbler was made with rhubarb amaro called Zucca rabarbaro instead of fortified wine. Other ingredients were muddled strawberry, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup, with a mint leaf garnish. Champagne cobbler is made with muddled pineapple, lemon and orange with Maraschino liqueur and Champagne in a 1:4 ratio.Variations on the Classic Cobbler
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 22 Mar 2012

References

{{reflist Cocktails with wine Sweet cocktails Citrus cocktails Cocktails with pineapple juice Cocktails with pineapple Independence Day (United States) foods Three-ingredient cocktails Cocktails with liqueur