SHERRY HAS long been seen as the preferred tipple of granny and granddad – until now.
The fortified wine has found favour among a younger generation of drinkers, with sales booming over the last year.
Drinks retailer Majestic Wine in the UK has seen sherry sales leap by 25 per cent in the last 12 months as younger drinkers look for alternatives to craft beer and gin.
Far from the sickly sweet taste many associate with sherry, best-sellers include dry brands such as Tio Pepe.
Joe Aylmer, sherry buyer for Majestic says: “Good sherries are high quality, food-friendly wines that are tapping into the changing preferences of the generation that light the fuse under craft ales and craft gins.”
He adds: “It's no longer a social faux pas for hipsters to drink sherry in tapas bars, as part of a cocktail or simply served ice-cold on a hot summer day – or with tonic or as a low ABV alternative to gin and tonic. It's a complete reinvention of the style.”
Other fortified wines such as Portuguese madeira and port are also proving popular among younger customers.
And wine from eastern European countries such as Hungary are experiencing a boom.