Name: Porter Cup
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 3 fl oz Porter; 1 fl oz Cognac; 0.5 fl oz Ginger Syrup (Click for Recipe); 1 Cucumber Slice; 1 Lemon Twist; 1 pinches Grated Nutmeg

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Cocktail History

The Porter Cup is a vintage cocktail that was created by Jerry Thomas and was first published in his 1862 book The Bartender’s Guide: How to Mix Drinks. The recipe combines a unique mixture of French brandy, ginger, cucumber, and lemon with rich porter beer and tops it all with a sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Porter: This is a type of beer made with malted barley, hops, water, and yeast, which are brewed and fermented to develop a dark, roasted flavor.

Cognac: This is a type of brandy made in the Cognac region of France with grapes and yeast, which are distilled and then aged in oak barrels to develop a smooth, complex flavor.

Ginger Syrup: This is a sweetener made with ginger root, white sugar, and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a spicy, aromatic flavor.

Cucumber Slice: This is a piece of cucumber that has been cut into a thin circular shape.

Lemon Twist: This is the peel of a lemon that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.

Nutmeg: This is a spice made from the seeds of the nutmeg tree, which are dried and grated for their warm, aromatic flavor.

Brands I Used

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Boston Shaker: This is a two-piece cocktail shaker made with a large metal tin and a second tin or mixing glass that’s used for shaking and chilling cocktail ingredients.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is a flat metal strainer with a handle and a coiled spring around the edge that’s used for straining shaken cocktails from a shaker while holding back ice and solids.

Fine Mesh Strainer: This is a mesh metal strainer with a tightly woven bowl and handle that’s used for straining out small ice shards and other solids while pouring cocktails from a shaker or mixing glass.

Cutting Board: This is a flat, durable kitchen surface made from materials like wood or plastic that’s used for slicing ingredients and preparing garnishes.

Chef’s Knife: This is a large kitchen knife with a broad, sharp blade that’s used for chopping and slicing ingredients.

Muddler: This is a handheld bar tool with a thick handle and flat or textured end that’s used for crushing ingredients to release their flavors.

Bottle Opener: This is a handheld tool that’s used for removing caps, corks, or seals from bottles.

Peeler: This is a handheld kitchen tool with a sharp blade that’s used for removing thin strips of peel from fruits and vegetables.

Grater: This is a kitchen tool with sharp perforated edges that’s used for finely shredding, grating, or zesting ingredients.

Lowball Glass: This is a short, wide glass with a thick base that’s used for serving cocktails with ice or spirits neat.

Tools I Used

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Dark chocolate brown color

• Aroma: Fresh nutmeg and malty beer

• Taste: Dark chocolatey beer taste offset with cucumber, ginger heat, and citrus

• Finish: More malty chocolate

Kendall’s Take: “I wish I knew the story behind the drinks in the book The Ultimate Guide to Beer Cocktails, this one especially. Descriptions aren’t listed for the recipes, but its name implied it was originally made by Jerry Thomas, which turned out to be true. That aside, I liked this beer cocktail quite a bit. The beer is a bit bitter, but the brandy, ginger, and cucumber sweeten it up and give it a refreshing spring vibe. If I could drink beer, I might ask for the Porter Cup again as an after-dinner treat.”