Greenmarket Booze: Brandy and Maraschino Cherries
Posted by Audrey Ference on The Spirit World
I almost missed the sour cherry season this year—bad booze nerd! All the smart cocktail geeks know that now is the time to put up cherries for this winter’s Manhattan season. There are many different schools of thought as to how best to make these treats. What is universally agreed upon is that anything is preferable to those disgusting neon red abominations besmirching the name of Maraschino in the grocery store aisle.
Melissa Clark of the New York Times pits and blanches hers with spices before jarring. I’ve not tried her recipe, but it looks promising. The way I learned is just to wash the cherries, cover with alcohol, and let sit four to six months. I don’t pit them, as the pits add a kind of almondy note to things, and Maraschino liqueur is made from not just the flesh but the pits of the Marasca cherries, after all. I sweetened my brandy before adding for the brandy cherries, but just poured the Maraschino straight on.
All manner of spices could be added into the mix: vanilla beans, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, whatever you like. Different types of booze work well too. I know a devoted lover of bourbon cherries, both in cocktails and atop ice cream. Just make sure to use sour cherries, found mid-summer in the farmers’ market, and not sweet ones.
Even though my cherries won’t be ready for another couple months, I’ll share with you my favorite Manhattan variation to give myself something to look forward to:
Audrey’s Favorite Manhattan
2 oz rye
.5 oz sweet vermouth
.5 oz cynar
2 dashes Angustura bitters
2 dashes Hess house bitters
stir, strain, garnish with a homemade cherry
See previous Greenmarket Booze entries:
Tequila por mi Amante
Raspberry Brandy
