Macerated Cherries
There is a great new place in town making their own booze. The place is called Great Lakes Distillery, and I have to admit, they are doing things right. Everything from their vodka to their rum, every sip of their stuff is, well, simply delicious. It was not too long ago where a colleague and I headed over to the place after work for one of their tastings. It was exciting to say the least, and after we ordered our first drink, I was hooked on their stuff. It was like no other. You could taste honey and lemon in their booze! My colleague had been there before so he knew the routine, and what to order. The second drink he ordered us before going on the tour was called the Kirsch Collins. It was simple in terms of ingredients, and was just mind blowing refreshing. But there was something that caught my attention when finishing the drink. It was a macerated cherry that packed a punch. After that, I had to make my own macerated cherries, and boy am I glad I did.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of Bing cherries, pitted
- 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup of brandy
Start by pitting your cherries. This takes some time. If you have a pitter, use it. I do not, so I used a pairing knife to carefully wedge in by the pit to remove it.
Next add the water and sugar to a pot. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and add in the vanilla and the brandy. Stir. Let cool then add in the cherries. Store in a sealed tight container, in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
The end result is what I expected, and very similar to that of the distillery. Cherries that were sweet, delicious, soft, and ones that were perfect in dessert as well as a refreshing cocktail.
8 Comments
Lynn
Are these cherries sour or Bing?
Thanks!
Jude
How do you think frozen cherries (thawed, of course)would work? I love cherries in season but they are a little difficult to find now.
Dax Phillips
Hi Jude, I bet frozen/thawed cherries would work just fine. Good luck and hope you enjoy!
Chris c.
Looking forward to this…
Clay
“Paring knife”, not “pairing knife”.
Nice recipe!
Mae Gregory
It’s a great recipe and apologies for not asking first but I used it but adapted it. Here in Australia we can get raw sugar mixed with finely ‘grated’ vanilla. The vanilla pod looks like it’s ground rather than grated and then mixed with the brown raw sugar. Instead of straight brandy I used Cherry Brandy (Kirsch) and the result was really delicious. I intend to serve the cherries on the side of some Apricot pancakes (crepes) for our Christmas dessert tomorrow.
Many thanks.
Dax Phillips
That sounds equally delicious, Mae! Merry Christmas.
danib
Just FYI, I use a paring knife and go around cherry in middle and pull apart, only one side is left with seed and it comes out pretty easy. I’m definitely investing in a cherry pitter soon, as I do 8lbs at a time and freeze for off season.