Cherry Bounce
 
Prep time
Total time
 
Recipe by:
Serves: 750 ml
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds (about 4 cups) fresh sweet dark cherries, such as Bing
  • 1 (750ml) bottle bourbon
  • ½ cup sugar, such as caster
Instructions
  1. Clean and sterilize the jar following standard canning procedures.
  2. Remove the stems from the cherries and wash thoroughly. Using a bamboo skewer, pierce both sides of the skin of the cherries so that the juices will run freely.
  3. Pack the cherries in the jar, add the sugar and cover completely with bourbon.
  4. Tightly screw on the lid and put in a cool part of the pantry for 6 months.
  5. Open the jar and strain off the cherries (freeze the marinated cherries to use later; ice cream sundae, anyone?). Pour the bounce over ice or enjoy straight up. Garnish with more fresh cherries and a sprig of mint, if you like.
Notes
Cherries start showing up in early May so look for them and make this recipe when you see them. My wide-mouth 2-quart Ball jars are available on Amazon here. I use superfine caster sugar, but you’ll be okay with regular. Some folks like more sugar, but I am not a fan of overly sweet drinks. Age for at least 6 months (if you can wait that long), but it only gets better with longer marination.
Don’t use the good stuff here: A blind taste test pitting Ancient Age bourbon against pricier upscale brands was an eye-opener that cheap can sometimes be better; pick up a bottle and try it for yourself.
No need to remove the cherry pits, they will be discarded in the end. For a spritzer variation, cut the Cherry Bounce with carbonated soda water or use your bounce to make the tastiest Old Fashioned ever. After opening, refrigerate your Cherry Bounce indefinitely.
Recipe by Acadiana Table at https://www.acadianatable.com/?p=27943