Classic cocktail · Guided recipe
Nelson's Blood
Start makingRuby port under a flute of champagne sounds like it should be sweet, and it isn't. Bubbles strip the fruit back to something dark and dry, and the drink is finished in two ingredients.
In the glassRuby port · Champagne
See exact amounts
What goes in
Ingredients
Set up before you pour
Use a champagne flute.
The narrow bowl slows the loss of bubbles and keeps sparkling cocktails bright for longer.
- Standard size
- 180 ml6 oz
- Ice & serve
- Chill it first; serve without ice.
- If you don’t own one
- Use a small white-wine glass if a flute is unavailable.
- jigger or measuring spoon
- Ruby port30 ml
- Champagne90 ml
From bottle to glass
Method
- 01
Measure and pour Pour 30 ml ruby port
Ruby port
- 02
Top gently Top with 90 ml champagne
Champagne
- 03
Finish the drink Finish it — add an orange slice
Know your drink
About the Nelson's Blood
About that cask story
Nelson died at Trafalgar in October 1805 and his body was shipped home preserved in a cask of spirit, brandy by most accounts, though versions of the story swap in rum. Sailors were later said to have tapped the cask on the voyage, which is where the slang is supposed to come from. Treat it as folklore. The navy has never been short of stories, and this one is far too good to have survived unimproved.
Common questions
Nelson's Blood FAQ
I thought Nelson's Blood meant rum.
It does, in navy slang, and a rum and champagne version circulates under the same name. Port and champagne is the one you meet in bars. Port's weight sits under sparkling wine more comfortably than rum's heat does, which is probably why that version stuck.
Is a late bottled vintage port worth opening for this?
If you are pouring more than one, yes. Basic ruby is jammy and slightly flat, and champagne shows that up immediately. LBV brings grip and dried fruit for a little more money. Tawny is the wrong direction here: nutty and oxidized, it turns muddy under the bubbles.
Does the port need to be cold?
Fridge cold. Room-temperature port knocks the gas out of the champagne on contact and reads noticeably sweeter than the same wine chilled. Give the bottle an hour in the fridge alongside the champagne, chill the flute as well, and pour the port in first.
Does it drink like wine or like a cocktail?
Like wine, and strong wine at that. Thirty milliliters of port at around 20 percent under 90 of champagne lands near 14 percent in the glass, roughly a generous pour of red. That is why it works at a table and why a second one goes down easily.
What ingredients are in a Nelson's Blood?
A classic Nelson's Blood calls for 30 ml (1 oz) Ruby port, 90 ml (3 oz) Champagne. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.
How strong is a Nelson's Blood?
A standard Nelson's Blood is roughly 14% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it about as strong as a glass of wine.
Is a Nelson's Blood shaken or stirred?
A Nelson's Blood is built directly in the glass over ice — no shaker required. Add the ingredients in order and give it a brief, gentle stir.
Sharpen the technique
Skills used in this recipe
Where to go next
If you like the Nelson's Blood, try these.
Blood and Sand
One of the few classics built on Scotch: whisky, sweet vermouth, cherry and orange in equal measure. Named for a bullfighting film.
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Port Wine Cocktail
Just about the simplest cocktail there is: a generous measure of ruby port with a drop of curaçao, stirred cold. Soft, sweet and low-proof.
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