Raise Your Cup if You’ve Ever Had a ‘Madeira Bomb’ at New Bedford’s Portuguese Feast

Disclaimer: You must be 21 years or older to drink and this is not endorsed by the Feast Committee.

Tell me you're Portuguese without telling me you're Portuguese.

I'll go first.

With the 107th Feast of the Blessed Sacrament right around the corner, I'm psyching myself up for the hot bifanas and malasadas. Oh, and of course that sweet, delicious, Madeira wine. It's tradition to have at least one to sip on. It's how I cope with the large crowd on a Saturday night.

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The real question: Have you ever had a Madeira Bomb?

There are a couple of ways to do this.

First, you'll need to buy a Bud Light or a beer with a small Madeira wine on the side. You can either pour the wine into the beer (be sure to take a few sips of the beer first to make room) and then consume it, or drop the smaller cup of wine into the larger cup of beer and drink it that way.

Both ways work.

I've been doing it for years. It's like an unofficial Portuguese rite of passage. Is it the best taste in the world? Meh, it's just OK, but you ask a crowd of 1,000 drinkers and I bet you 80% of them have done this.

On the other hand, some of my friends refuse to do this. Best to keep them separate.

Others will tell you that the wine is better in sangria instead of beer. I've had both and, yes, the sangria seems to go down the hatch a little smoother.

Most importantly, make sure you're responsible. It's one thing to enjoy a cup or two of wine, sangria or beer, but please plan accordingly and have a designated driver or an Uber if you're impaired.

The Feast is a wonderful time to reunite with old friends and make new ones, eat plenty of delicious Portuguese cuisine and be merry. Don't let one too many beverages ruin that for you.

Cheers, my friends. I'll see you at the Feast. It's set for Aug. 3-6 at Madeira Field in New Bedford.