Quick Sip - Smokin' Cherry

by Kat Kinsman, Posted May 30th 2007 @ 12:18AM

More soon on this weekend's all-day hickory smoking adventure, but first, a little libation.

Hickory Smoked Cherry Limeade

Juice of 2 dozen limes
1 1/2 cups simple syrup (more or less to taste)
2 cups water (more or less to taste)

Stir these together in a large pitcher with 2-3 handfuls of smoked cherries.

Hickory Smoked Cherry & Bourbon Lemonade

2 quarts lemonade (fresh or from concentrate)
1 cup triple sec or orange curacao
2-3 cups bourbon (to taste)
1 cup smoked cherries

Pour over ice. For a lighter drink, top with seltzer.

So how do you happen to come upon smoked cherries? Prolly not in your local 7-11. Seeing as I was spending 8-ish hours smoking brisket, I figured I might as well put the top racks to use. Took a couple of foil baking pans, and laid in a layer of fresh cherries in each. Two hours in the low, steady lump charcoal heat, suffused with the heady smoke of beer-soaked hickory chips left the cherries with unbelievably rich, mellow, sweet-smoked flavor. Seeing our guests repeatedly sidling over to the bowl with the extras, and plucking them from their cocktails to savor on their own makes me think I've stumbled upon something pretty distinctive. I've a notion there will be a goodly bit more experimentation as long as they're in season.

Oh - and I also tossed in a foil pan of kosher salt for about 6 hours. That smoked salt will add some delicious wood-char undertones to my next batch of margaritas. But that's a whooole other post.

Next outing - we smoke the lemons & limes, and potentially a few peaches. Wanna come over?

Get More Great Grilling Tips
Lemonade 101

Tags: bar chef, BarChef, cocktails, drinks, grilling, mixology

Chew on This

Royal Wedding Cake Details Revealed! - YumSugar

Make Your Own Pop Tarts - CHOW
Denny's Introduces a Maple Bacon Sundae - Eater
Whole Foods Opening Bars in Stores - USA Today
Rules Of Bar Etiquette -- For The Bartender - HuffPost Food

Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

7-10-2009 @1:41AM Annette M Shaw said... Fruits this time of year are peek. We should use them as much as we can when in season. I love to make fruit salad using honey over a mix of fuits along with carmel syrup. try it!
Reply