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Bourbon Soaked Cocktail Cherries are a great accompaniment for your favorite cocktails. Give our jars as gifts or keep on hand for your own use.

Two of my favorite things are bourbon and cherries. I eat an absurd amount of cherries for one person. Seriously, I can eat an entire two-pound bag of fresh ones all by myself in a few days. And then when cherry season is over, I buy the 48 oz bags of frozen ones and eat them too.
The good news, for my liver at least, is I don't drink an absurd amount of bourbon. I love it and it's my preferred liquor for all cocktails but I'm not a very big drinker.
Anyway, these Bourbon Soaked Cocktail Cherries are great to add into cocktails like Manhattans or Old Fashioneds. They are also delicious over ice cream or on their own. (Make sure to keeps the kids out of them though!)
This recipe is so simple I can hardly call it a recipe. Just FOUR ingredients - bourbon, cherries, vanilla and sugar! They take no time at all to make and look so pretty in jars that you'll have friends and family asking for them! Which is why they also make a great Christmas, birthday or any-time gift for that cocktail drinker in your life.
What kind of bourbon to use?
You can use any type of bourbon you like. As this recipe calls for 1 cup of bourbon, you may not want to use your most expensive bottle. My favorite is Bulleit Bourbon, which I used in this recipe.
Can I use fresh or frozen cherries?
You can use either. Fresh cherries will take a little more work as you will need to remove the stem and the pit from them before making this recipe. No one wants to crack a tooth on a cherry pit! If you're using frozen cherries, let them thaw completely before making these cocktail cherries.
If you're using fresh, I recommend this cherry pitter as it does a few cherries at once.
Ingredients for cocktail cherries
- fresh or frozen cherries (see recipe card notes for how to use each type)
- bourbon
- sugar
- vanilla extract
How to make bourbon cocktail cherries
- Add the bourbon, sugar and vanilla to a saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Let cool 20 minutes.
- Divide cherries between mason jars.
- Pour the bourbon mixture over the cherries.
- Seal the mason jars and store cherries in the refrigerator.
If you have enough patience, let the cherries soak in the mixture for one week before adding to your cocktails. When refrigerated, the cherries will keep for up to a year, but good luck on keeping spiked bourbon cherries hanging around that long!
Cocktails for bourbon soaked cherries
- Manhattan
- Old Fashioned
- French 75
- Cherry Lime Bourbon Smash
- Cherry Bourbon Slush
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Recipe
Bourbon Soaked Cocktail Cherries
Equipment
- 4 oz. mason jars
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherries
- 1 cup bourbon
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- If you are using frozen cherries, let them thaw completely. If you are using fresh cherries, remove the stems and pit them.
- Add bourbon, sugar and vanilla to a saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.
- Let bourbon mixture cool for 20 minutes.
- Divide cherries into 6 4oz. jelly mason jars.
- Once bourbon mixture has cooled, pour it over the cherries, filling to the first rim.
- Seal cherry jars with lids and rings.
- Refrigerate 1 week, then add to your favorite cocktails.
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