The Porto Flip recipe
for your table
Place the glass in the freezer for fifteen minutes.
Separate a fresh egg, loosen the yolk with a fork, and measure out 1 cl of it.
Pour the port, brandy, and egg yolk into the shaker, fill with ice, and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
Pour the drink through the strainer and a fine sieve into the chilled glass; double straining keeps out ice chips and strands of egg.
Grate fresh nutmeg over it.
What did you think of this recipe?
One click on a star is enough. If you’d like to add something, we’ll review it first before it appears here.
Save this recipe
Send the Porto Flip recipe to your own email so you’ll have it handy when you make it. You’ll also receive a €5 discount code when you spend €50 or more, for the glasses that go with it.
The story
Flips have existed for centuries. Around 1700, a flip in English and American inns was a warm drink made with beer, rum, and sugar, which was foamed with a glowing iron. Later, egg was added, the beer disappeared, and the flip was served cold. In the nineteenth century, the American bartender Jerry Thomas described a Port Wine Flip and a Coffee Cocktail with port, brandy, a whole egg, and sugar. He himself noted that the latter name was incorrect: it contains no coffee; the drink only resembles it. The Porto Flip is similar, but uses only the egg yolk and no additional sugar. The IBA classifies it among The Unforgettables.
The right glass
The IBA specifies a chilled cocktail glass. Since a Porto Flip is only about 9 cl after shaking, a small glass works best: a 14 to 16 cl Nick & Nora glass. The drink fills it nicely to just below the rim without looking lost, and the rounded bowl keeps the foam together. The stem prevents your hand from warming the drink. A small coupe also works. View our Nick & Nora glasses.
RCR Melodia Port Glass Nick & Nora 14 cl (6 pieces)
Bormioli Rocco Novecento Cocktail Glass 15.5 cl Nick & Nora (4 pieces)
Both sets together € 59,90.
The right tools
For a Porto Flip, besides the glass, you need a Boston shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a cocktail strainer, a fine strainer for double straining, and a nutmeg grater. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 163,70.
Variations & twists
Using ruby port instead of tawny makes the drink redder and fruitier, with more berries and less nuttiness. In Jerry Thomas's old recipes, a whole egg is used with a little sugar; this creates a lighter, foamier drink that is similar to an Eggnog without cream. Cognac is the classic choice of brandy. A related wine cocktail without egg is the Sherry Cobbler. For a creamy drink with cognac and cacao, see the Brandy Alexander.
Serving tip
Grate the nutmeg over the glass just before serving, because ground nutmeg from a jar lacks the aroma that completes this drink. Serve it after dinner with blue cheese, nuts or a piece of chocolate cake. Use fresh eggs and make the drink just before drinking it.
Good to know
Making a Porto Flip: shaking with egg yolk
The egg yolk needs to be whipped thoroughly to make the drink creamy, so you shake hard and long. First loosen the yolk with a fork and measure out 1 cl; that is more than half of an average yolk. Pour the port, brandy and egg yolk into the shaker, fill with ice and shake as vigorously as you can for 15 seconds. For extra foam, you can first shake without ice for 10 seconds, the dry shake, and then shake again with ice. Double-strain into the glass to keep out ice chips and strands of egg. You can find a good shaker among our cocktail shakers.
Which port do you choose
The IBA specifies tawny port. Tawny matures for years in wooden barrels, causing the wine to oxidize slowly, turn brown and develop flavors of nuts, caramel and dried fruit. These pair well with the egg yolk and nutmeg. A 10-year tawny provides more depth than a basic tawny, but it is not necessary. Ruby port matures for less time and in larger barrels, remains red and tastes of ripe red fruit; it makes the Porto Flip fresher and fruitier. White port is too light for this drink. Store an opened bottle in a cool place and keep it tightly closed; it will remain good for several weeks.
Is a Porto Flip with raw egg safe
Raw egg yolk has been used in cocktails for a very long time, but there is still a small risk of salmonella. Therefore, use fresh eggs from a reliable source, store them in the refrigerator and prepare the drink just before serving. Alcohol and cold do not reduce the risk enough to rely on them. Older people and those with weakened immune systems should avoid using raw egg. If you want certainty, use pasteurized egg yolk, which you can find in the refrigerated section of larger supermarkets or at wholesalers. It shakes just as well and you cannot taste the difference.
Difference between flip, eggnog and sour
A flip contains spirits, egg and often sugar, but no cream or milk. An Eggnog has the same base plus milk or cream, making it fuller and heavier. A sour, such as a Whiskey Sour, uses at most the egg white and centers on citrus: fresh and tart rather than round and sweet. The Porto Flip uses only the egg yolk, and because port is already sweet, no extra sugar is needed. That makes it one of the simplest flips there is: three ingredients and one shake.
How much alcohol is in a Porto Flip
Less than in most shaken classics. The 4.5 cl portion of approximately 20 percent provides 0.9 cl of pure alcohol, while the 1.5 cl of 40 percent brandy provides another 0.6 cl. Together, that is 1.5 cl, approximately 12 grams, slightly more than one standard drink. After shaking with ice, the drink comes to about 9 cl at approximately 16 percent alcohol, comparable to a full-bodied wine. That is why it works well as a nightcap: full of flavor, but without the strength of a Sidecar or a Manhattan.
Porto Flip for a group
A flip is made one glass or two glasses at a time, because the egg yolk needs to be whipped in the shaker. You can work ahead, though. For six glasses, mix 27 cl port and 9 cl brandy in a bottle and refrigerate it. Just before serving, separate four eggs, loosen the yolks and keep them chilled. Then shake 12 cl of the mixture with 2 cl egg yolk over ice for every two glasses. Put the glasses in the freezer beforehand and have the nutmeg and a grater ready, then each round will be on the table within two minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Porto Flip?
According to the IBA, a Porto Flip consists of 4.5 cl tawny port, 1.5 cl brandy and 1 cl egg yolk. Shake everything vigorously with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass and grate fresh nutmeg over it. Sugar is not necessary, because the port is already sweet.
What exactly is a flip?
A flip is a cocktail made with spirits or fortified wine and a whole egg or just the egg yolk, without cream or milk. The word is centuries old: around 1700, flip was a warm mixture of beer, rum and sugar. Later, egg was added, the beer disappeared and the drink was served cold.
Can you make a Porto Flip without egg?
Then it is no longer a flip, because the egg is precisely what makes the drink creamy. If you do not want raw egg, use pasteurized egg yolk. Without egg, you can stir port and brandy with ice to make a simple, robust nightcap, but you will miss the soft texture.
Which glass do you use for a Porto Flip?
A small, chilled cocktail glass on a stem. Because the drink is only about 9 cl after shaking, a 14 to 16 cl Nick & Nora glass fits best. A small coupe works too; in a large martini glass, the drink looks lost.
Everything for your bar,
at one address
Glasses in hospitality quality, delivered by the set. Order today, delivered quickly.
Shop the glasses →