Since I made some brandied cherries, I of course had to make some cocktails with brandied cherries. Because otherwise they’re just sitting there in that jar, looking pretty.
So first, I made a version of the classic Manhattan with some of the brandied cherry liquid in it.
Uptown Manhattan
2 oz bourbon
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 teaspoon brandied cherry liquid
dash of Angoustra bitters
dash of orange bitters
orange twist
brandied cherries
The added cherry liquid and the extra garnishes definitely make this version of the Manhattan sweeter than the original, but it still tastes strongly of bourbon. You can never take the bourbon out of a Manhattan… and yet, I found myself kind of liking this. Maybe bourbon is growing on me.
Next I found a drink with cherry brandy, which sounded like it would go well with brandied cherries.
Rendezvous
1.5 oz gin
0.5 oz cherry brandy
0.25 oz Campari
brandied cherries
Can you believe the original called for twice as much alcohol? The gin and the cherry flavor together actually made kind of a cough syrup-y taste for me, and there wasn’t enough Campari for the bitterness to mask any of that cough syrup taste. It even kind of looks like cough syrup.
Finally, a scotch whiskey-based drink.
Blood and Sand
1 oz cherry brandy
1 oz blended scotch whiskey
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 oz orange juice
orange twist
brandied cherries
You’re supposed to use blood orange juice, but I just used regular orange juice. The cherry brandy and orange juice make this drink pleasantly sweet, but the cherry flavor kind of gets lost in the scotch whiskey. Not bad, though.
I still have plenty of brandied cherries left. Time for more cocktails…