Portonic, A taste of Portugal...

Inspired by vinho do Porto

This cocktail recipe took Europe by storm. It became one of the most popular cocktail drinks!

How to make Portonic cocktails

Serving: 1 person

Prep Time: 2 mins

Course: Cocktails

Ingredients

Ice
Tonic
Port
Lemon Slice

Method

Fill the glass half full with ice.
Add 1 part red port.
Add 2 parts tonic.
Stir slightly.
Garnish with one slice of lemon.
Serve cold.

The origin of Port

Port, or Porto as it is known in Portugal, has its origin in the North of Portugal, namely in the Douro region. This sweet and fortified wine is named after Oporto, the town where it is produced.

Getting back at the mozzies!

The mosquito swarms in the Arctic can literally, and they do, bleed young caribou to death at a bite rate of roughly 9,000 per minute,

Tony Winegard Tweet

I bet you wonder what has my agenda (getting back at the Mozzies) to do with Portonic! First, the facts…

Tony Winegard argues in his book, The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator, that the mosquito has quite an impact on us human beings. It’s not enough that they can keep you from a good night’s sleep, but if in large groups these nasty flying operators can be lethal.

And if your blood type is O (such as yours truly), then you’re first in line for a juicy meal. They seemingly dislike types A and B! Now, it’s not as if you can change your blood type like changing a T-shirt! So, what do you do?

You do like I did, search Google for remedies to prevent the enemy from sucking you dry! Or that’s how it feels.

Tonic water, the ammunition against mosquitoes

A liter of tonic water has about 83 mg of quinine. It is believed that if you drink tonic water to the equivalent of at least 60 mg quinine, you should not be bitten by the flying monsters.

Now the good news is that the mosquitoes are usually rife in summer, which is a great time to enjoy a Portonic! A glass or two with tonic water mixed with Port works just marvelous when socializing in the outdoors! The way I see it is that it has medicinal power and the cocktail makes for great enjoyment!

But of course, not everyone can indulge. Especially not if you’re sensitive to quinine. If you have headaches, perhaps a skin rash, visual disturbances, a digestive upset, ringing in the ears, or arrhythmias after consuming quinine you should immediately call it a halt and if need be, consult with your medical practitioner.

So with all this said and done, cheers to the Mosquitoes not finding a landing strip on you!