The Cherry Bomb is like sipping summer in a glass. The combination of bourbon, lemon, and fresh cherries makes this cocktail a fabulous drink to sip in cherry season. Recently I did an article for The Berthoud Surveyor all about summer cherries. This cocktail was so good I wanted to share it here on my blog as well. It is very easy to make, especially if you have a cherry pitter. And it is a fantastic sipper on a hot afternoon, now that cherries are in season.
I’m going to admit, that cherries were never my favorite fruit growing up. I suppose it goes back to the same reason I didn’t like any of the stone fruit. My childhood’s whole town was built in an old apricot orchard. I used to have to harvest from our trees every 4th of July and I had too many fights with rotten apricots! It has taken me many years to appreciate any fresh stone fruit. I’m not saying I was a picky eater, and I would eat them if I was presented them. But it was never my first choice. As I aged, I began to like stone fruits in cooked things, like cobblers and pies and jams. However, cherries for some reason I just never got into. I guess in my mind cherries were just not worth the effort. This year I had set as one of my goals to try and embrace foods I didn’t like as a kid. Cherries was a big step forward. I have now come to really like them in a cobbler and even ice cream. But the best way I like to enjoy them is in this cocktail.
I guess the best way to describe this cocktail is a summer old-fashioned. The muddled fresh cherries and the lemon juice brighten this drink up and make it a perfect refresher. This is one cocktail that you can’t substitute fresh cherries for anything else, and so it is only great when cherries are in season. Pitting cherries is a breeze if you use a cherry pitter. It is one of those gadgets that may sit in your drawer. But when you need one, it is indispensable, as pitting cherries any other way is a pain. You can find one on Amazon if you don’t own one. (I get a small commission at no cost to you from Amazon. If you use any link on this page, please consider helping fund my food journey.) I find that I use it more than I thought I would.
Ok, that is all for this week. I hope you are all staying safe and healthy out there. Please think of others in your choices, we all need to get through this wacko world together if we are to thrive. Until next time!
- 1/2 of a lemon cut into wedges.
- 5 fresh red sweet cherries pitted and cut in half or quarters
- 2 1/2 ounces of bourbon
- 1 tablespoon of maple syrup
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Fill an old-fashioned glass with ice or one large ice cube.
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In a cocktail shaker, add the lemon wedges and cherries.
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Muddle together until you’ve released nearly all of the juice from the lemon, and the cherries are crushed up into smaller pieces.
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Add in the bourbon and maple syrup.
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Add ice to the shaker and shake for 10-20 seconds until very cold.
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Strain into the glass filled with ice.
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Garnish with a couple of fresh cherries if desired.
