The Sherry Cobbler recipe
according to the IBA specification
Fill the julep cup to the rim with crushed ice so it gets cold beforehand.
Cut the half slices of orange and lemon into two quarters each and put them in a shaker with the sugar and both sherries.
Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds, so the sugar dissolves and the peels release their oils.
Strain the drink over the crushed ice in the cup, then mound some more ice on top.
Garnish with fresh red fruit and a quarter slice of orange and lemon, and serve with a straw.
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The story
The Sherry Cobbler emerged in the United States in the 1830s; the oldest known reference appears in an 1838 diary. No one knows who invented it. It became a craze thanks to two things that were new at the time: ice, which was becoming increasingly easy to obtain, and the straw, without which a glass full of ice is difficult to drink. Charles Dickens had a character drink one in his novel Martin Chuzzlewit, which also made the drink known outside America. Jerry Thomas included it in his 1862 bar book, and in 1888 bartender Harry Johnson called it the most popular drink in the country. After Prohibition, it faded from view. In 2024, the IBA added it to its official list.
The right glass
Traditionally, you drink a Sherry Cobbler from a metal cup, and the IBA specifies a julep cup. Metal conducts cold quickly: within a minute, a layer of frost forms on the outside, and the drink stays cold for a long time. A copper cup of around 50 cl offers room for a generous mound of crushed ice, the fruit, and the straw. If you don’t have a cup, a tumbler works too. View our copper cups.
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The right tools
For a Sherry Cobbler, in addition to the glass, you use a Boston shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a cocktail strainer, and glass straws. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you’ll find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
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What do you use to make a Sherry Cobbler?
You need wine for a Sherry Cobbler. On every drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
The IBA combines two sherries: amontillado for nuttiness and dryness, palo cortado for depth. Using only amontillado, or a fino, makes it lighter and more saline; a splash of oloroso makes it rounder. Jerry Thomas's recipe was even simpler: sherry, sugar, and a few slices of orange. If you like sherry or port in a cocktail, also check out the Porto Flip. You’ll find the same idea of serving a drink over crushed ice in the Mint Julep.
Serving tip
Use crushed ice, not cubes: the drink is light and needs the extra cooling and dilution. Chill the sherry in the refrigerator. Once opened, a bottle of amontillado will keep well sealed in the refrigerator for about two weeks, while fino stays good for only a few days.
Good to know
Sherry Cobbler recipe: the ingredients at a glance
The IBA specification uses 4.5 cl amontillado and 4.5 cl palo cortado, a teaspoon of superfine sugar, and half an orange and lemon slice. Cut the slices into quarters and shake them along with the drink so the oils from the peel infuse it. For the garnish, you need fresh red fruit, such as raspberries, berries, or a strawberry, plus another orange and lemon quarter. Other than that, just crushed ice and a straw. Superfine sugar dissolves faster than regular granulated sugar; if you don't have any, use 1 cl of simple syrup.
Which sherry should you use
Sherry comes from the area around Jerez in southern Spain and is available in dry and sweet styles. For a cobbler, you want a dry style. Fino and manzanilla mature under a layer of yeast called flor and are light, crisp, and saline. Amontillado starts out this way, but then matures further with oxygen and becomes amber-colored and nutty. Palo cortado is rarer and falls between amontillado and oloroso: the nose of the former and the fullness of the latter. Oloroso matures entirely with oxygen and is rich and dark. Leave sweet Pedro Ximénez out of this recipe.
What is a cobbler
A cobbler is one of the oldest American drink styles: wine or spirits with sugar and fruit, shaken and poured over a generous amount of finely crushed ice. Alongside the Sherry Cobbler, versions with whiskey, champagne, and other wines existed in the nineteenth century. The origin of the name is uncertain. A common explanation is that the small pieces of ice resemble the cobblestones of a street, or cobbles in English. The Mint Julep is a related drink from the same period that also uses crushed ice, but with bourbon and mint.
Making a Sherry Cobbler without a shaker
A shaker is useful, but not essential. Place the sherry, sugar, and the quartered orange and lemon in a large jam jar with a tightly fitting lid, fill with ice cubes, and shake for 10 seconds. Then strain through a tea strainer over the crushed ice. You can also make it directly in the glass: gently press the fruit with the sugar using the back of a spoon, add the sherry, fill with crushed ice, and stir with a long spoon until the glass becomes frosted. Then top up with ice.
How to make crushed ice without an ice machine
Place a handful of ice cubes in a clean tea towel or a sturdy linen bag, fold it closed, and strike it a few times with a rolling pin or wooden mallet. You want small pieces about the size of a pea, not snow: ice that is too fine melts immediately and makes the drink watery. A tea towel also absorbs the meltwater, keeping the ice dry. Make it just before pouring and do not store it in the freezer, as it will clump together. For one cobbler, you need about two handfuls.
How much alcohol is in a Sherry Cobbler
Less than you might think. Amontillado and palo cortado usually contain between 17 and 20 percent alcohol. With 9 cl of sherry, you have about 1.6 cl of pure alcohol, diluted across around 13 cl of drink with meltwater, resulting in 12 percent: comparable to a glass of wine. In standard drinks, it is slightly more than one, because the serving is larger than a wine glass. This makes the cobbler lighter than a Negroni or a Martini and a good choice as a first drink on a warm afternoon.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Sherry Cobbler?
A Sherry Cobbler is a nineteenth-century American cocktail made with dry sherry, sugar, and slices of orange and lemon, briefly shaken and poured over crushed ice. You drink it through a straw from a metal cup, garnished with fresh berries. It is light, refreshing, and nutty.
Which sherry do you use for a Sherry Cobbler?
A dry sherry. The IBA uses 4.5 cl of amontillado and 4.5 cl of palo cortado: the amontillado provides nuttiness and dryness, while the palo cortado adds depth and richness. Amontillado alone also works well. A fino makes it lighter and saltier. Sweet sherry, such as Pedro Ximénez or cream sherry, makes the drink too heavy.
How much alcohol is in a Sherry Cobbler?
About 12 percent, comparable to a glass of wine. The 9 cl of sherry at 17 to 20 percent provides about 1.6 cl of pure alcohol, diluted across approximately 13 cl of drink including meltwater. That is slightly more than one standard drink, because the serving is larger than a regular wine glass.
Why do you drink a Sherry Cobbler with a straw?
Because the cup is filled to the brim with crushed ice and fruit, making it difficult to reach the drink otherwise. The Sherry Cobbler is often cited as the drink that popularized the straw in the nineteenth century. At the time, straws were literally hollow stems of straw or reed.
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