The sweet blended sherry that carried Bristol's name around the world, born of the city's centuries-old Spanish wine trade and now enjoying a revival over ice with a slice of orange.

Bristol's merchants shipped Spanish wine up the Avon from the Middle Ages, and by the 1700s the city's cellars were blending their own styles. Bristol Milk came first; in 1882 Harveys christened a richer blend Bristol Cream, and the blue bottle became one of Britain's most exported drinks. The cellars under Denmark Street bottled it for generations, and the city's tapas bars still keep the sherry habit alive.

Where to eat Bristol Cream sherry in Bristol

2 editor picks for Bristol Cream sherry in Bristol, ranked by editorial score. All Bristol signature dishes · Bristol Cream sherry across every city.

  • Bravas

    Order Tortilla, boquerones and the croquette of the day, with a glass of fino.

    Bravas has run its candlelit Cotham Hill tapas bar since before Bristol's small-plates boom, sending staff on yearly trips to Spain to research suppliers.

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  • Gambas

    Order The signature monkfish and sobrasada Valencian rice, with gambas pil pil to start.

    Gambas cooks seafood-first Spanish tapas above the harbour at Wapping Wharf in Bristol, a Valencia-inspired sister venue to Cotham Hill's Bravas.

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More places near Bravas and Gambas

Not on this list, but close by, nearest first. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.

Make it at home

Serves Serves 25 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 150ml cream sherry, chilled
  • Ice cubes
  • 2 slices of orange
  • A few drops of Angostura bitters, optional

Method

  1. Chill the sherry thoroughly; the modern serve is cold, not room temperature.
  2. Fill two tumblers with ice and pour 75ml of sherry into each.
  3. Add a slice of orange to each glass, pressing it lightly against the ice to release the oils.
  4. Finish with a drop of bitters if you like a drier edge, and serve as an aperitif.

Editor tip. Serve it over ice with orange rather than warm from the sideboard; chilling tightens the sweetness and turns a dusty digestif into an aperitif.

Common allergens: Sulphites.