Fortified Wine

Pedro Ximénez Sherry

Pedro Ximénez, or PX, is the sweet sherry: grapes of that name are dried in the sun until shrivelled, pressed, and the fermentation stopped early with wine alcohol, leaving 212g of sugar or more in every litre. It is around 17% ABV, nearly black and thick, tasting of raisins, figs and coffee. Pour it neat, over ice cream, or a few millilitres at a time into a dark stirred drink.

Quick Facts

ABV17% ABVThe Consejo Regulador allows 15 to 22%; our figure is 17%.

Legal categoryFortified wineA liqueur wine under Regulation (EU) 1308/2013; the Consejo Regulador lists it as a naturally sweet sherry

OriginJerez and Montilla-Moriles, Spain

Flavour Strengthbold

Our keeping timeUp to two months once opened, stoppered, per the Consejo Regulador.

Storage

Upright, stoppered, cool and out of the light, opened or not. No fridge needed.

Allergens

Contains: sulphites.

The ingredient

About Pedro Ximénez Sherry

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

RaisinFigCoffeeMolasses

Tasting Notes

Liquid raisins first, then fig, date and a coffee-dark finish. Thick enough to coat the glass, sweet beyond any table wine, held together by acidity you only notice when it works.

The sugar comes from the sun

Most sherry ferments dry and is fortified afterwards. PX reverses that. The grapes are picked very ripe and laid in the sun, a process called asoleo, until they shrivel; the must that comes out of the press is so sweet that fermentation barely starts before wine alcohol stops it. The sugar left behind is the grape's own.

PX, cream and oloroso are three different bottles

Shelves put the dark sherries together, and the labels matter. Oloroso is dry. Cream is oloroso with PX stirred in. PX is the sweet wine itself. The Consejo Regulador's 2026 specification sets PX at 212g of sugar a litre or more and cream at 115 to 140g, both at 15 to 22%.

The dark sherries by sugar (Consejo Regulador)

Oloroso

Where the sweetness comes from: None: fermented dry
Sugar per litre: 4g or less
Strength: 17 to 22%

Cream

Where the sweetness comes from: PX added to oloroso
Sugar per litre: 115 to 140g
Strength: 15 to 22%

Pedro Ximénez

Where the sweetness comes from: Sun-dried grapes, fermentation stopped early
Sugar per litre: 212g or more
Strength: 15 to 22%

Style	Where the sweetness comes from	Sugar per litre	Strength
Oloroso	None: fermented dry	4g or less	17 to 22%
Cream	PX added to oloroso	115 to 140g	15 to 22%
Pedro Ximénez	Sun-dried grapes, fermentation stopped early	212g or more	15 to 22%

In a drink, use it to replace part of the syrup

Our recipes have no PX line yet. In a stirred drink with whisky or dark rum, a barspoon to 10ml in place of some of the syrup adds raisin and fig. It is less sweet than 1:1 simple syrup, so cutting all the syrup leaves the drink dry. Pour it neat over vanilla ice cream for a pudding that needs no recipe.

An open bottle needs no fridge

Sugar and long oxidative ageing make PX hard to spoil. The Consejo Regulador gives an open bottle up to two months, stoppered; we keep it somewhere cool and dark, without the fridge. Stand it upright, like any sherry.

Using it

Using Pedro Ximénez Sherry

Usage

Neat in a small glass, lightly cool, or poured over vanilla ice cream. In a stirred whisky or dark rum drink, a barspoon to 10ml can replace part of the sugar syrup and add raisin and fig; taste before adding more.

Pro Tip

Pour PX into the mixing glass first and stir it with the spirit before the ice goes in. Thick and cold, it otherwise sinks and clings to the bottom.

Top Tips

PX is less sweet than sugar syrup, measure for measure, so it replaces part of the syrup, not all of it.
We keep an opened bottle stoppered, cool and dark; it needs no fridge.
Cream sherry is a blend of oloroso and PX: lighter and less sweet.

Possible Substitutions

Demerara Syrup: A rough stand-in in a stirred drink: sweeter and without the raisin

Production Method

By the Consejo Regulador's account, overripe Pedro Ximénez grapes are dried in the sun (asoleo), pressed, and the fermentation is stopped by adding wine alcohol, leaving 212 grams of sugar a litre or more; ageing is oxidative only.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is Pedro Ximénez sherry?

A naturally sweet sherry made from the Pedro Ximénez grape. The Consejo Regulador says the overripe grapes are dried in the sun, which concentrates their sugar and acidity; the must is fermented only briefly before wine alcohol stops it. The result is dark, syrupy and very sweet, and its ageing is purely oxidative.

How sweet is PX sherry?

The Consejo Regulador's specification requires at least 212 grams a litre, and many bottles carry more. That makes it far sweeter than any dry sherry, which has under four, and sweeter than cream sherry at 115 to 140. It is still less sweet than house sugar syrup, measure for measure.

Is PX the same as cream sherry?

No. PX is a single style made from sun-dried grapes. Cream sherry is a blend: dry oloroso sweetened with a share of PX. Cream is lighter in colour and body and carries far less sugar. If a recipe names PX, cream will make a thinner, less sweet drink.

How long does PX keep once opened?

The Consejo Regulador gives up to two months, with the stopper in. Its sugar and its long oxidative ageing make it one of the least fragile sherries, alongside cream sherry, which also lasts weeks to months open. Keep it somewhere cool and dark; the fridge is optional and only makes it slower to pour.

How do I use PX in a cocktail?

As a sweetener with flavour. In a stirred whisky or dark rum drink, a barspoon to 10ml can take the place of part of the sugar syrup. PX has less sugar than syrup, so use it to replace some of the syrup rather than all of it, and taste as you go.

What can I serve PX with?

Vanilla ice cream is the simplest: pour a small measure straight over a scoop. It also suits blue cheese, dark chocolate and Christmas pudding. Serve it a little cool rather than cold, in a small wine glass; very cold, it turns heavy and hides its fruit.

Where is PX sherry made?

As sherry, in the Jerez area, under the Consejo Regulador's rules. Montilla-Moriles, a separate protected designation of origin on Defra's register, also makes PX and sells it under its own name rather than as sherry. Both start from Pedro Ximénez grapes dried in the sun before pressing.

Sources.

Correct as of 16 October 2026.

Consejo Regulador (sherry.wine), “Pedro Ximénez”.
Consejo Regulador (sherry.wine), “Conservation & Serving”.
Consejo Regulador Jerez-Xérès-Sherry / Junta de Andalucía, “Pliego de condiciones de la DOP «Jerez-Xérès-Sherry» (consolidated to the Order of 13 May 2026)”.
Defra, Protected geographical food and drink names (GOV.UK), “Jerez-Xérès-Sherry / Jerez / Xérès / Sherry”.
Defra, Protected geographical food and drink names (GOV.UK), “Montilla-Moriles”.
legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, Annex VII, Part II (retained)”.

From the Guides

How sweet Pedro Ximénez is made

Make something

Made with Pedro Ximénez Sherry

Often Used With

Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 16 October 2026

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