Domingo de Chuva

Melancholy never tasted so beautiful.

This cocktail channels the soul of a rainy Lisbon Sunday — the Portuguese concept of *saudade* poured into a glass. Smoky ginjinha (sour cherry liqueur) and aged aguardente form a melancholic, warming backbone, while cold brew tea and a dash of orange bitters evoke grey skies and wet cobblestones. A float of port wine settles in like fog over the Tagus, slow and inevitable.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz aged aguardente (Portuguese grape brandy)
• 0.5 oz ginjinha (Portuguese sour cherry liqueur)
• 0.75 oz cold brew black tea (strong, cooled)
• 0.5 oz honey syrup (2:1 honey to water)
• 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• 0.5 oz tawny port (floated on top)

Instructions

1. Brew a strong black tea (e.g., a robust Portuguese or Darjeeling blend) and allow it to cold-brew in the fridge for at least 4 hours, then strain and chill.
2. Combine the aguardente, ginjinha, cold brew tea, honey syrup, fresh lemon juice, and orange bitters in a cocktail shaker.
3. Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until well chilled.
4. Double-strain through a fine mesh strainer into a chilled coupe glass.
5. Using the back of a bar spoon, slowly float the tawny port over the surface of the drink so it rests as a deep, wine-dark layer on top.
6. Express the orange peel over the glass by holding it skin-side down and giving it a firm twist over the surface to release its oils, then drape it over the rim.
7. Rest a single brandied sour cherry on the rim beside the orange peel. Serve immediately, no straw — let the layers merge as you sip.