If you’re making a classic cocktail like an old-fashioned or Manhattan at home, you will want to use the best cocktail cherries you can find. Here are 11+ premium cocktail cherries to try.
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Cocktails and cherries go together like a horse and carriage.
Manhattan and old-fashioned aficionados know and love these syrupy sweet, ruby-red gems are delicious in a whiskey cocktail.
But if you’re thinking about the bright red cherry atop an ice cream sundae or Shirley Temple drink, we’re not discussing the same thing.
Those are maraschino cherries, which are artificially-colored and sweetened cherries. Cocktail cherries are more sophisticated, flavorful and darker in color. Let’s get to know this ultimate cocktail garnish.
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What are cocktail cherries?
Also known as preserved cherries, cocktail cherries are preserved in sugar syrup and/or alcohol, sometimes with spices added for flavor.
Bourbon and brandy are the most common choices for preserving cherries, but they can be made with other spirits like amaro and rum.
If you wind up with a surplus of summer cherries, you can use them to make your own cocktail cherries with your favorite whiskey, brandy or liqueur and even add flavors like a real cinnamon stick or orange slices. (Hot tip: You’ll want to order a cherry pitter!)
You can also use leftover cherries to make cherry simple syrup or cherry bounce.
Why you should use the best cocktail cherries in your drinks
- Serious home bartenders should use the best ingredients they can afford to make restaurant-quality drinks at home.
- The darker, natural color of brandied cherries is much more appealing than the bright neon red of maraschino cherries.
- High-quality cherries can bring more flavor to your drinks from the spices and alcohol they’re made with.
Cocktail cherries aren’t just for cocktails. Feel free to place a cocktail cherry on top of your favorite desserts, like cakes, ice cream sundaes and more. You can even spoon some of the rich syrup over top.
And don’t feel bad if you want to eat them straight out of the jar!
Maraschino cherries vs. cocktail cherries
While both are made from cherry fruits, there are a few differences between maraschino cherries and cocktail cherries.
Maraschino cherries are bleached, dyed red, soaked in sugar and packed in syrup (sometimes even corn syrup) with added almond flavoring. Thanks to artificial coloring, their color is bright red — this is probably what you think of when you think of a cherry on top of a boozy milkshake or brownie sundae.
But while the colorful maraschino cherries can be used in cocktails, such as the whiskey sour, they differ from cocktail cherries, which are neither bleached nor dyed. They are preserved in alcohol, retain their dark color and aren’t quite as sweet — they have a much more natural flavor.
Here’s where it gets confusing: The term “maraschino cherry” can also refer to a variety of cherry grown in Italy known as the Marasca cherry. The artisanal brand of Luxardo cherries are made from Marasca cherries.
Luxardo cherries are the original maraschino cherry — made since 1905. Luxardo is also famous for its Luxardo maraschino liqueur, a cherry liqueur used cocktails like the Hemingway daiquiri.
Any type of cherry can be used to make cocktail cherries, including the Amareno cherry, Morello cherry and Bing cherries.
How to store cocktail cherries
Like jams and jellies, these preserved cherries can last a while before they go bad. That’s because they are preserved in a sweet syrup or alcohol, which gives them a longer shelf life than fresh cherries.
Unopened jars of cocktail cherries can be stored in the pantry. Follow the “best by” date on the label.
Opened jars — especially cherries preserved in syrup — should be stored in the fridge for food safety and used up within a year (or the “use by” date on the label). Most jars’ labels will suggest you refrigerate after opening.
Liqueur-soaked cherries like Luxardo can keep for longer and may be stored at room temperature, but to err on the side of safety, it’s best to keep them in the fridge.
If your cherries are stuck together or bring a dollop of syrup with them when you pull them out, let a few sit at room temperature for a little while before using them so the syrup can warm up and melt off.
Tips for using cocktail cherries
- Use a slotted spoon or cocktail pick to help you remove cherries from the jar.
- Store unopened bottles in the pantry and opened bottles in the fridge.
- If you are using cherries in syrup (versus liqueur), the syrup can thicken up in the fridge. Let a few sit out at room temperature for a few minutes to let the syrup warm up and drip off.
- Look for “stemmed” on the label if you want the cherries to have stems.
- Be on the lookout for pits. While cocktail cherries are usually pitted, it’s possible a cherry pit was missed.
Drinks using cocktail cherries
While cocktail cherries are most often associated with whiskey cocktails like the Manhattan or the old-fashioned, many drinks made with other spirits are perfect for a cherry garnish.
FAQ
Cocktail cherries are preferred over maraschino cherries in cocktails such as the old-fashioned and the Manhattan. Cocktail cherries are natural cherries steeped in syrup or liqueur. Maraschino cherries are bleached and dyed with artificial flavoring. Luxardo cherries are a popular brand of gourmet cherries used by upscale restaurants and bars.
You can use any kind of alcohol in homemade cocktail cherries. Brandy and bourbon are common and classic choices, but you can make them with amaro, vodka, rum or tequila.
Maraschino cherries are bleached and dyed with artificial flavoring. Cocktail cherries are natural cherries steeped in syrup or liqueur. Luxardo cherries are a brand known for making the original maraschino cherries, which are more like the dark-colored cocktail cherries of today. Both Luxardo cherries and the bright red maraschino cherries are derived from the Marasca cherry, an Italian sweet cherry.
The dark cherries in cocktails are typically called cocktail cherries. Sometimes they are referred to as brandied cherries or bourbon cherries, if they are steeped in brandy or bourbon, respectively.
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