Sour Cherry Vodka

Happiness is kayaking and cherry picking on the same day. Paddling is a new hobby for me, but going to the cherry orchard has always been one of my favorite things to do.

I like to look for interesting ways to get the most out of the cherry harvest and make it last.

This time I covered my few precious sour cherries in vodka.

It was a bit of an experiment. The essence of the cherries was extracted after a month, and the resulting infusion is intensely aromatic and flavorful.

Sour Cherry Vodka
Printable Recipe

14 ounces sour cherries, stemmed
¼ cup sugar
16 ounces vodka

Combine all of the ingredients in a 1-quart mason jar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Cover and let infuse at room temperature for about a month. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a glass bottle.

Makes approximately 20 ounces. Keeps more or less indefinitely tightly sealed in the bar or the pantry. Use in cocktails or blend with freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar, and chilled soda water for a refreshing spritzer. Combine with simple syrup to moisten cake layers in Black Forest cake.