Sherry's Going Mainstream

What do you think when you think of sherry? Maybe that dusty section of the liquor cabinet that hasn’t been opened in years? Or maybe even the dusty, dry lips of your grandma, the only person who actually enjoys it.

That’s why, Marketplace reports, the Spanish government is giving sherry an image overhaul. Turns out that Spain, better known for its riojas and cavas, also makes a pretty good sherry. It isn’t that sickening sweet variety you drink after dinner but rather one that can be paired with meals. And to promote it to the world, the Spanish government has launched a million-dollar campaign to get celebrity chefs and mixologists to give it a second look.

Here in the US, sherry connoisseurs are even employing the tried and true marketing technique of exclusivity to make the drink more palatable. The Sherry Council of America (yes, there is such a thing) created a “Secret Sherry Society,” a members-only group where drinkers can find out about secret locations to taste “wine's best-kept secret” and join in the "vast wine-drinking conspiracy.”

Who knows? Maybe it's time to invite grandma to happy hour.

Photo courtesy Photopedia photos via Flickr.