A Simple Guide to Making a Cherry Whiskey Cocktail

With deep, rich flavors, whiskey is one of the most interesting liquors you can drink. But the addition of the cherries adds a new level of flavor that’s sure to make this your go-to drink.

It’s easy to add fresh cherries to your favorite whiskey cocktails to make a refreshing drink with a sweet twist. It’s perfect whether you’re sipping on something in the evenings or need a showstopping drink to serve at a party.

In this guide, learn some behind-the-bar secrets to creating a cherry whiskey cocktail that will have everyone asking for the recipe.

Choose Your Cocktail Type

Any classic whiskey cocktail can have an added cherry flavor to it. The first step to creating a cherry whiskey cocktail is selecting which whiskey cocktail recipe you want to modify.

Consider a whiskey smash, a drink that’s refreshing thanks to the lemon and mint. A little bit of cherry will add a bit of sweetness or tartness to the cocktail.

Similarly, you can craft a cherry whiskey sour, another classic drink that uses lemon juice rather than a lemon wedge. An Old Fashioned and a Manhattan are other whiskey drinks that can have a cherry twist.

Pick the Right Kind of Cherries

The types of cherries you use can affect the taste of your cocktail, so choosing the right cherry variety is essential. Black cherries, Lambert cherries, and Chelan cherries will add just a bit of sweetness.

Sour varieties like Morella, Montmorency, and Balton will add a bit of tartness. Maraschino cherries, like Luxardo cherries, are best used as garnishes for your cocktails.

Ways to Infuse Cherries

Next, consider how you’re going to infuse the cherries in your drink. There are a few methods to bring that cherry flavor into your cocktail. Infusion and muddling, however, are two of the more popular methods.

To infuse whiskey with cherries, you’ll want to smash the fruit and add it and the whiskey to a tightly sealed jar. Shake the mixture and store it for four days, giving the container a shake each day. Finish by straining out the solids.

Muddling involves smashing the fruit right in the glass before adding the whiskey and building the cocktail on top of that. Both methods add a bit of fruity flavor, but they differ in strength.

Assembling a Cherry Whiskey Cocktail

Once you know the method of adding cherries to your cocktail, you simply follow the instructions the cocktail recipe calls for.

Most whiskey cocktails use are served in rocks glasses. Others, like the Manhattan, are served in stemmed cocktail glasses. Now’s the time you may also want to think of garnishing the drink.

Fresh fruit like lemon wedges and Maraschino cherries either floating in the glass, on the rim, or speared will add some color and freshness to the drink.

Sweet Drinks for Whiskey Lovers

You can love the deep, intricate flavors of whiskey and the sweet tartness of cherries at the same time. Adding cherry flavors to your favorite whiskey cocktails is the perfect way to create an interesting drink.

Serve it as a signature cocktail or make it your evening nightcap. Once you learn how to make a cherry whiskey cocktail, you’ll never want to drink anything else.

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