Sherry Cobbler

The Sherry Cobbler is a Cocktail which consists of Sherry, Fruit, Sugar, and Shaved Ice.

"Martin Chuzzlewit," Charles Dickens, 1844

"This wonderful invention, Sir...it is called a Cobbler. Sherry Cobbler, when you name it long; Cobbler when you name it short."

"The upper ten thousand; sketches of American society. By a New Yorker," By Charles Astor Bristed, 1852

"take a knife and a lemon, and do as you see me do; don't mind soiling your fingers. First, you rub the lemon with the back of the knife--that brings out the essential oil better; then you pare off the rind very carefully, taking only the yellow, and not cutting into the white at all. Very well. Imbed your lemon-peel in as much sugar as you would use if making a similarly-sized glass of punch. Sometimes you will see slices of lemon put into a cobbler--nothing can be more destructive; avoid everything but the yellow peel. If you will have something more, put in a slice of orange or pineapple, or a few strawberries. I think this may be done to good effect in a bowl, but not in a single glass. Now fill your tumbler half-way with pounded ice. Good. And now pour in two wine-glasses of sherry. You see we use dark sherry for this, both for strength and the colour. It makes the mixture of a beautiful golden hue; with amontillado or Manzanilla it would look too weak. Don't be impatient; we have to mix yet." He took up one of the spare glasses, covered with it the mouth of the tumbler which contained the magic compound, and shook the cobbler back and forwards from one glass to the other a dozen times without spilling a drop.

"Zanesville Courier," 26th August, 1853

"A sherry cobbler! Bacchus! what a luxury. I believe Satan suggested the thought to me."

Jerry Thomas (1862)

• Take 1 table-spoonful of fine white sugar.
• 1 slice of orange, cut up into quarters.
• 2 small pieces of pineapple.

Fill the glass nearly full of shaved ice, then fill it up with sherry wine. Shake up, ornament the top with berries in season, and serve with a straw.