The Cocktail Cherry

A few days ago, I finally ran out of the jar of cocktail cherries that I bought at the start of 2024. I tend to follow Dave Arnold's philosophy on garnishes, adding them sparingly only when it's truly called for. That said, a few cocktails, including the Manhattan and the Aviation, call for a cherry.

You often find Luxardo Maraschino cherries, or sometimes Amarena cherries, which are also common in ice cream. These are quite sweet; often too sweet for me, as they can overshadow the drink. Luckily, one evening I found myself at the Le Lion in Hamburg, where I ordered a cocktail garnished with a cherry. This cherry was different to the ones I tried up to that point: not overpoweringly sweet and full of cherry flavour. I asked what they were and found out that they are Griottines Original cherries. The main difference from the others is that they are packed in 15% kirsch-flavoured alcohol and not just sugar, which makes them pretty balanced.

Since them them there are my go-to cherries when it comes to cocktails. They keep in the fridge basically indefinitely. Also try the Schwarzwälder Kers cocktail, it is a dessert in a glass. Do you have a favourite cocktail using cherries?