Over the past few summers, cherry-based cocktails have become something of a signature for me, to the point whereupon being proposed to in mid-July a few years back, I immediately began pulping and freezing cherries for use in our wedding cocktails the following October. Fresh cherries have a cruelly short season, and I do my best to make the most of every phase from sour to Rainier to Bing. Each has a distinct level of sweetness and depth of flavor and is complemented by different suites of ingredients. Rich, dark Bings stand up to wood smoking and full-bodied lemon and limeades, but tender, young sour cherries seem a natural fit for a subtly refreshing sweet iced tea. Oh - and booze.
Recipe follows after the jump.
Sweet & Sour Cherry Tea
Handful of sour cherries
Sweet tea
Lemon
Simple syrup
Rye whiskey
Seltzer
(Note - I'm providing very few exact measurements, as this is easily adaptable to people's personal tastes)
Cover the bottom of a rocks glass with de-stemmed sour cherries, and smash with a muddler. Spoon out pits.
Quarter a lemon, and depending on your desired level of tanginess, muddle 2-4 sections of the lemon, rind and all, into the cherry pulp.
Pour in sweet tea (or plain iced tea) until the glass is 1/2 full. Depending on the level of sweetness of your tea, and your tastes, the drink may require additional simple syrup to balance the lemon juice, so stir and sample.
Stir in 2 oz rye whiskey (or bourbon), add ice and top with seltzer.
If you should (and who wouldn't?) desire a second helping, just add additional whiskey and seltzer. The fruit will likely prove flavorful enough to stand up to a re-boozing.
Previously: Smoked cherry cocktails
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