cocktails

Take the dry vermouth and cherry-infused liquor of a Brooklyn cocktail and the bitters of a Manhattan cocktail and you’ve got…

The Brooklyn Bridge

Makes one drink

2 ounces cherry-infused bourbon

1/2-1 ounce dry vermouth

dash of bitters

twist

Stir bourbon and vermouth with ice, strain into glass with a cube or two of ice, add bitters and twist.

Last month I had the pleasure of cherry picking.  The fruit was hours from going bad so I had to work fast to find ways to preserve it (there is actually a limit to how many cherries one can eat in a day).

These juicy little morsels were small, the pit equaling the fruit, so I was determined not to spend time-and stained hands-pitting them.

So I made cherry-infused bourbon!

Infusing alcohol with fruit is the simplest thing ever.  When I lived in Portland I would berry pick at least once a week and while most of it went in the freezer (shoot, why didn’t I freeze some cherries?), I would always make pint jars of vodka infused with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and marionberries.

I filled this jar about halfway with washed cherries and topped it off with bourbon.  You can add sugar but I don’t like my alcohol very sweet so the fruit provides plenty for my taste.

The cherries infuse the bourbon but the bourbon straight up takes over the cherries!  One of those little guys is like a chewable shot!  I keep the alcohol in on my bar for as long as it takes to finish it, taking care to keep the fruit covered with liquid.

Speaking of Portland, I’m heading there in mere hours!  I will spend the weekend dancing and catching up with my dear, sweet NW friends and sister.  I am traveling sans computer and will be busy but you can still follow my weekend on instagram (gracefulfitness).

See you next week!