While it may be considered somewhat retro Cherry Brandy is still a really popular drink. How to make cherry brandy? Read on my friends and I’ll show you exactly how it’s done and it’s so easy too.
Cherry Brandy is such an old fashioned drink. In fact it used to be known as Cherry Bounce.
Cherry brandy takes me right back to when I was a child and those fancy liqueur chocolates would come out at Christmas, there was always the cherry brandy ones that made you feel all grown up and decadent. Ah those were the days…..
The cherries are really cheap just now and the supermarkets have huge displays of glistening rich red goodness all waiting to be tasted.
We’ve been eating so many lately that i thought it was time I actually made something with them and stopped just stuffing them into my mouth.
How to stone cherries
Now I am being cautious here and I have stoned my cherries. I’ve used my old cherry stoner here but you can also use a coke cottle and straw to stone cherries.
Simply place the cherry in opening of empty bittle and hold in place while you gently pres cown in centre of the cherry with a drinking straw. The stone will pop out into the bottle!
Save the cherry stones
Save those stones, don’t throw them away. You can make Homemade Kirsch with the cherry stones. How’s that for not wasting a thing. Cherry brandy and homemade kirsch from the same batch of cherries!
Of course, you can wait till you fish them out of the brandy at a later date, but by then you may well have sampled said brandy and forget to stone the damn things at all. Then all hell will break loose when you chomp into one of those babies and lose a gnasher! Your dentist will of course be thrilled as they tot up yet another luxury item to their ever-growing wardrobe.
Equipment needed;
I used a 1 kilo kilner jar to make my cherry brandy. But any large jar with a good tight-fitting lid will do nicely.
Ingredients for homemade cherry brandy
- I used just a half bottle of brandy
- 2 punnets of cherries (about 600g)
- 2 tbsp of caster sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick.
Notes
You can also use frozen cherries to make cherry brandy. Just defrost them first.
How to make cherry brandy
- Stone your cherries and pack them into the jar.
- Add the sugar and stir well and pop in the cinnamon stick.
- Pour in the brandy and seal the jar.
- Shake well and put away in a cool dark cupboard for about 2 weeks.
- Shake the jar occasionally.
- Pour through a sieve lined with 2 layers of cheesecloth/muslin or paper towels to remove the cherries
How to serve cherry brandy
You can have this as a shot either chilled or at room temperature. As I’ve shown here with ice and some soda water. Or add your favourite mixer.
Cherry brandy is also good as part of a cocktail and you can pour a dash of it over ice-cream or add to baking and desserts too.
How long will this last?
Your cherry brandy should keep for at least a year stored in a cool dark place.
What to do with the cherries?
Don’t waste this fabulous brandy-soaked fruit. Serve those cherries with ice-cream. Bake them in a pie. Or pop them in the freezer till inspiration strikes.
It’s when you are serving the brandy-soaked cherries that you will thank me for reminding you to remove the stones back at the beginning of this saga!
So that’s how to make cherry brandy in your own kitchen, now I just have to clean up the sticky mess I’ve made…….
Cheers!
Looking for more ways to use those gorgeous summer cherries? Then check out these fun and easy cherry recipes;
Looking for more homemade liqueurs to try? Then check out my Homemade Liqueurs & Infusions section.
Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.
Cherry Brandy
Ingredients
- 500 ml brandy
- 600 g fresh cherries
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Stone the cherries (remove the pits) and pop them into a large clean jar
- add the brandy, sugar and cinnamon stick
- seal the jar and shake well, put away in a dark cupboard for 2 weeks shaking regularly
- strain through either 2 layers of muslin/cheese cloth or kitchen roll
- decant into a sterilised bottle
Hi Karon,
I found your website while searching how to make Cherry Brandy. I can’t wait to try this at the weekend, I’m going to try preserving Salted Lemons too. I love your website, it has really inspired me to try and be more creative!
Amy x
Thanks Karen
Going to make this and ferment for a wedding
Does removing the stones affect the final flavour?
leaving stones in will give stronger flavour.
K
I googled making Cherry Brandy and have found this one. I also found some chat on the Delia Online forum and they seemed to be joking about the possibility of cyanide poisoning? So just checking Mark is still all right before I make mine. Perhaps I’ll remove the stones!
“ooh sue – almond taste – cyanide – is that not what poirot said? one way to kill off the MIL, lol, i jest!! “
Hi, can you tell me what you bconsider to be the best type or brand of Brandy to use, as they all have different flavours?
Thanks
Clive
Just use any brandy that you would drink yourself but don’t go overboard on expensive stuff!
K x
Can you replace the cinnamon stick with anything as I cinnamon is a migraine trigger for me?
Hi Keith
You could use star anise, a more aniseed flavour but gives a bit of spice kick, or vanilla for its warmth
Hi Karon, have pillaged our cherry tree in the garden ( good crop this year ) have followed your recipe, and the product is in the larder doing it’s stuff. Tomorrow I will be bashing cherry stone’s, ready to prep the kirsch, will let you know how things go.
Love your website very informative and inspirational
Best regards Phill down in Winchester.
hi Phil
Thrilled that you iked uch Hope you enjoy the hooch when its ready, cheers!
K
If you freeze the cherries the stones just pop out when you unfreeze them. They still taste delicious.
Hi Maureen
Thanks for the info
K
We love your recipe for cherry brandy it is a great Christmas drink and also a drink to be shared with unexpected visitors all give very good comments , YOU MADE THIS REALLY !!
Hi Colleen
Glad you like my recipe so much and that your friends really enjoyed ittoo.
Cheers!
K
how soon can we drink the cherry brandy .I made it yesterday from beautiful cherries from Cromwell New Zealand
Hi John
The cherry brandy is ready to drink as soon as you have made it. Once it has been steeped for the 2 weeks and strained and is in the bottle you can drink it. If things need extra time I always make sure I put that in the recipe. Hope you enjoy it.
Cheers!
K
Hi can you make this using frizen cherries?
Hi Julie
Yes of course, just defrost first.
K
We tried this recipe out about 2 years ago, life got crazy and the bottles were just found ! I strained out the cherries which are now just pulp … should I toss the brandy or try it?
Hi Joli,
Try it and see, I’d think it should be ok. You’ll know with a dip if it’s drinkable.
K
If using bottled cherries should liquid be strained off to use else where, or just combine with Brandy.
Hi Carol,
I’d drain the cherries first.
K
How long will cherrys last .when ther have been strained. .and can cherrys be used to make a fresh batch of cherry brandy
Cherry brandy will last for over a year. Don’t try to make another batch with same cherries as they have done their flavouring bit already. Use them with ice-cream as a boozy sweet treat instead, store in fridge for up to a month.
K x
I’ve frozen the left over cherries. They don’t freeze solid but lovely to pop in a gin
Hi Polly
That sounds like a super idea!
K