Abstract: In this article we will explore how modern brands developed in the port wine trade, particularly in the three decades after the end of World War II. A commercial crisis followed the end of the conflict, with port sales only recovering from stagnation in the mid-1960s, in a time when multinational corporations dominated the alcoholic beverages sector and brands achieved global dimension. We will trace the origin of modern brands in the very conservative port trade since the 19th century, having Britain, its main market, as reference and analyzing the role of pioneers such as Sandeman. We will confront how different players understood the crisis in exports after the war and how the concentration and internationalization processes in the alcoholic beverages sector favored the development of modern brands in the port trade, having Cockburn as a case study for a new business paradigm.