Cherry Bounce in Progress
Cherry season is beginning, or at least fresh cherries are showing up in the markets here. We don’t grow cherries locally, so when I start to see them at the grocery, I buy them up. I love cherries, so I try to make the season last as long as possible. I bake with the beauties, make preserves, and frankly, just leave a basket on the counter and eat them throughout the day. But a classic Southern way to preserve them is in Cherry Bounce, which is worth making for the name alone.
This is not an immediate results recipe. It requires a little patience, but very little work. Start your Cherry Bounce now, while the cherries are fresh and gorgeous, and by the holidays, you’ll have a special treat. Decant the liquor into decorative bottles for gifts, or serve small glasses after a Thanksgiving dinner or with a Christmas cheese plate. And Cherry Bounce makes a mean Manhattan. If you make fruitcake and soak it in brandy, try Cherry Bounce instead for a real treat.
Cherry Bounce
Use a bourbon you would happily drink, but not a top of the line, very expensive bottle. You can increase this recipe as much as you’d like.
1 pound fresh red cherries (such as Bing)
1 cup sugar
5 cups bourbon
Run a large jar or glass airtight container through the dishwasher to sterilize. Wash the cherries well and remove the stems. Discard any bruised fruit. Layer the cherries and the sugar in the jar and leave to sit for about an hour. Pour over the bourbon, seal the jar and shake occasionally to help dissolve the sugar. Some cherries will float in the beginning, but they will sink to the bottom. When the sugar is dissolved, leave the jar in a cool dark place for at least 4 months to infuse.
When ready to use, you can simply pour out what you need of the liquor, or you can strain out the cherries and decant the bounce into decorative bottles. The cherries are edible, but still have pits. You can eat, them, use them to garnish a cocktail or spoon some bounce and cherries over ice cream for a boozy dessert, just remind those you serve it to about the pits.
I will definitely be making a large jar of Cherry Bounce this weekend, thank you!
Last time I made these I pitted some and left some whole; the pitted ones are good for eating, while the stemmed ones are nice in drinks.
That sounds really good. Is there any reason not to pit the cherries before making this?
Really, its just easier not to pit. I made a small batch once with no pits, and I thought the cherries got a little mushy. But see the comment here from Paige.
This is ridiculous in the most fantastic way possible. Have you ever tried this without the sugar? Just curious how that would work out.
The sugar helps bring out the juices in the cherries and mellows the whole brew. I’ve never made it without sugar, but I suppose you could reduce the amount. I tend to think it might be a little one dimensional without the sugar.
so excited to make this. Posted to FB and Twitter too!
[...] inspiration to make Cherry Bounce came entirely from this blog post over on The Runaway Spoon. When I say this one pop in my reader, I believe I said the words [...]
would the flavors go well with sour cherries? and do you think vodka would work instead of bourbon? thanks!
Bourbon adds a depth and richness to the brew. Cherry vodka would be lovely, but not have the complexity. And I don’t know about sour cherries…I’ve never tried! Sorry!
I made something similiar to this 2 weeks ago (1/4 cup brown sugar, 3 cups bourbon, 1 cup fresh cherries sealed up in a Mason jar) and I’m thinking after my week, I need to start making drinks with it tonight! Yours looks great!
Have only made this with sour cherries! Make it, shake it, don’t touch it til Thanksgiving! One year I added a vanilla bean. I should have just used a small piece! Not to repeat!
Made a double batch this year in a gallon jar…with pitted cherries. Have never eaten the cherries before…always pitch em.
Our cherry guy says it is way better with vodka. Also said to use only 100 proof. Never have…still here today to talk about it. The Manhattans from it? Made me a Manhattan drinker!
My friend Ada of “Of Woods and Words” made some of your Cherry Bounce recently and linked to your site! So glad she did! Not only am I excited to try this recipe, but I’m so happy to have discovered your blog. Off to browse around…
Best,
Jenn/Rook No. 17
Saw you featured on Rook No. 17′s A Little Birdie Told Me…this week. And so glad she did. I am going to get myself some bourbon and have this ready for Christmas!
Since I missed fresh cherry season, would this work with thawed frozen cherries do you think? It sounds very similar to Portugese ginghina, which is fantastic
I worry that the texture of frozen, pitted cherries would be a problem. i think they would break down in the long soaking process. And yes, it is a little bit like ginghina.
[...] it to be wild cherry, and warned us the leaves are poisonous. We were then given the recipe for Cherry Bounce, which he has heard is a very good drink. He learned about it when they lived in Louisiana. He said [...]
[...] Recipe adapted from The Runaway Spoon [...]
[...] says that my grandparents would make bounce each Christmas and drink it the next year — but some bloggers say it tastes good after about three weeks. Tags : alcohol cherry cherry bounce do it yourself [...]
[...] good toast for turkey sandwiches, folks). I celebrated my birthday with a glass of P.C.’s bourbon Cherry Bounce from the same blog and can’t wait for cherry season to make a much bigger batch for next [...]
I made this twice! Bourbon + sweet cherries (results were okay, I guess.. I forgot I don’t really like bourbon), and vodka + sour cherries. OMG I’m in love with the vodka/sour cherry version. I can’t wait to make more when the sour cherries are in season.
I’ve been mixing it with Meyer lemon juice and sparkling water and it’s gorgeous. I’m going to have to try to find some other drink suggestions. Thanks for posting this recipe!
[...] Recipe adapted from The Runaway Spoon [...]
I found this via Food In Jars, but I have a question… I found a recipe on another site for brandied cherries and it was canned. What is the difference between the actual canned brandied cherries and yours? They blanched the cherries first. Here is the link: http://chicagoist.com/2010/06/23/simple_canning_brandied_cherries.php I’m definitely trying yours, sounds amazing!
From what I can tell, that recipe is more about the cherries than the infusion. Cherry Bounce is all about the bourbon, the cherries are just a bonus. With as much alcohol as there is in Cherry Bounce, it doesn’t need to be canned.
[...] and adding my own touches and flavors. Lots of ginger, no nuts. And I feed my cake with Cherry Bounce, the cherry-infused bourbon I put up when the fruit is in season, just for this purpose. In [...]
Having grown up in an area of the country where cherries are a popular seasonal crop, cherry bounce is a family favorite. My parents once made a batch with gin, and it wasn’t horrible!