Fresh, sweet summer cherries transform into something deeper in this simple cherry liqueur.
By
Marcia Simmons
Marcia Simmons
Contributor
Marcia Simmons is the author of DIY co*cktails: A Simple Guide to Creating Your Own Signature Drinks (2010).
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Updated August 02, 2022
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Why It Works
- This is a great way to preserve summer cherries in a naturally flavored homemade liqueur.
- Steeping the muddled cherries in brandy and vodka extracts full flavor.
- The liqueur is sweetened with a simple syrup made with cherry juice.
The first time I tried cherry liqueur, I thought it tasted like cough syrup. For years, I avoided anything made with the stuff because I didn't want my co*cktails to remind me of sick children. Then one day I ordered a Singapore Sling without really knowing what was in it. When I found out that cherry liqueur played a big part in making this drink so good, I realized that maybe I had stereotyped all cherry liqueurs because of one that was particularly bad (and probably cheap).
Prejudice erased, I soon started splashing a little cherry liqueur in everything from Manhattans to Sangria. I went a little nuts at the roadside cherry stands this summer, so once I saw I had more cherries than my freezer and I knew what to do with, I knew it was time to experiment with my own cherry liqueur.
What's Available to Buy?
When you're buying cherry liqueur, you have to pay attention or you may end up with the wrong thing. Cherry liqueur is sweetened and can be made with any type of spirit base.
Brandy is the most common, so cherry liqueur is often called cherry brandy. Then there's kirsch or kirschwasser, which is anunsweetenedeau de vie distilled from cherries. But sometimes kirsch is called cherry brandy. You can't use kirsch and cherry liqueur interchangeably, since one is sweet and the other isn't.
Despite the somewhat confusing name game, it's actually not difficult to know if you have the right bottle in your hand. Kirsch, the unsweetened eau de vie, is clear in color, while liqueurs will be dark.
Cherry Heering is my favorite cherry liqueur, and it's not hard to find for about $25 or $30 a bottle. It's made with real cherries and it actually tastes like cherries. There are also more affordable options from Bols and Hiram Walker, but now that I make my own, I haven't been tempted.
Why DIY?
Cherry Heering tastes great and is made with real fruit, so the reason to DIY isn't because good commercial cherry liqueur doesn't exist. But it's fun to turn a basket of local fruit into something delicious that you can drink for months to come. While I'm certainly not going to age my liqueur in oak casks in the garage, I can make a complex and fruity liqueur using my trusty steeping jar.
Making your own cherry liqueur is a simple and inexpensive way to expand your home co*cktail repertoire. Cherry liqueur wasn't one of my home bar staples, so once I decided to make my own I was surprised by all the recipes I had previously missed out on trying.
Use It!
You can sip your cherry liqueur on the rocks, or splash it in some sparkling wine or seltzer. Add it to some cola for a delicious and slightly alcoholic version of Cherry co*ke, or use it to add depth to a sangria.
With a little tasting and adjusting, you can use homemade cherry liqueur in recipes that call for Cherry Heering or cherry brandy. TheSingapore Slingis the drink that won me over—it's fun and fruity without being syrupy sweet or unbalanced.
Another delightful drink is theBuck's Fizz, which is like a Mimosa with a little cherry liqueur and gin added in to make it even better. Like cherries themselves, cherry liqueur goes really well with the brown liquors. So try aBlood and Sandmade with Scotch or aRemember the Maine, which is a fun twist on the classic Manhattan.
August 2012
This recipe has been edited to clarify and further streamline the directions for making the cherry liqueur.
Recipe Details
DIY Cherry Liqueur Recipe
Prep10 mins
Cook5 mins
Active20 mins
Infusing Time288 hrs
Total288 hrs 15 mins
Serves20 servings
Makes2 1/2 cups
Ingredients
6 cups Bing cherries, pitted
1 cup brandy
1/2 cup vodka
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick, broken (optional)
Directions
Place pitted cherries in a sealable glass jar and, using a wooden spoon or muddler, muddle them to release some juice. Drain juice into a small pot and set aside. Add brandy, vodka, and cinnamon stick to jar with muddled cherries. Seal and shake jar. Let muddled cherries mixture steep for one week at room temperature, shaking every few days; keep out of direct sunlight.
In the meantime, add sugar and water to pot with reserved cherry juice. Bring to a boil over high heat, and cook, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool. Once cool, pour into a separate jar, cover, and refrigerate.
After one week has passed, add chilled cherry syrup to jar with muddled cherry mixture, shake to combine, and let steep for an additional 2 to 5 days.
Strain contents of jar through fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth into a sterilized glass jar or bottle. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
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Special Equipment
Small pot, fine-mesh strainer, cheesecloth, glass jar
Notes
Bing cherries are sweet and easy to find. However, you could use tart cherries for a less sweet result, or mix a variety of cherries together. If using frozen, let them defrost before use. To add a little bitterness and a slight almond flavor, you could leave the pits in some or all of the cherries. Cinnamon is optional; you could skip or substitute another spice such as allspice, cardamom, or mace. If you prefer a stronger brandy flavor, substitute more brandy for the vodka. Other spirits such as bourbon and rum could also work well.
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 99 | Calories |
| 0g | Fat |
| 17g | Carbs |
| 0g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 20 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 99 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 0g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 1mg | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrate 17g | 6% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 3% |
| Total Sugars 16g | |
| Protein 0g | |
| Vitamin C 3mg | 15% |
| Calcium 6mg | 0% |
| Iron 0mg | 1% |
| Potassium 98mg | 2% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
