Cherry Infused Brandy


If prepared right, an excellent alcoholic drink can be made even with the cheapest brandy and ordinary cherries. Homemade cherry infused brandy is much better than store-bought analogs, which are usually made with chemical additives. Each gulp of this brandy is rich with the taste and smell of cherries, and its beautiful ruby shade adds to the excitement.

For this infusion, you’ll need fresh or frozen (should be thawed in advance) ripe cherries of any variety. At the very least you can also use dried cherries (two times less the amount described in this recipe). Use cheap or homemade but real brandy—a distillate aged in a barrel or infused with oak chips.

Brandy imitations made with prunes, burnt sugar or other additives can’t be used for this recipe as they will absolutely destroy the taste.

Ingredients:

  • Cherries – 0.5 kilo
  • Brandy – 0.5 liter
  • Sugar – 50-200 grams
  • 5-7 cherry leaves (optional)
  • Cloves (Optional) – 2-4 buds

Sugar should be added to taste depending on the chosen variety of cherries. Since most cherries are sour, adding at least a minimal amount of sugar is recommended. The more sugar you add, the more ABV the infusion will have. Cherry leaves enhance the aroma and cloves add a spicy note.

Cherry Infused Brandy Recipe

  1. Remove fruit stems and rinse the cherries. Pierce each cherry with a needle.

In the classic recipe, cherry stones are not removed because they make the aroma brighter and flavorful. Cherry stones contain hydrocyanic acid and cyanide and in high amounts, these substances can cause poisoning. If you’re concerned about your health, remove the stones without crushing them. After this, make the infusion with pulp.

  1. Put pierced cherries (or pulp) in an infusion container. Add sugar. Shake a few times in order to mix cherries and sugar. You can fill the container in layers. Add leaves and cloves (optional).
  2. Pour in brandy. Seal the container. Shake it a few times.
  3. Infuse in a dark place (or cover the container) for 30 days at room temperature. Shake once every 3-5 days.
  4. Strain the infusion through cheesecloth, bottle and seal it. Let the drink age for 2-3 days in a dark cold place to let the taste stabilize.

In some cases using pulp causes the infusion to turn out cloudy (sometimes it’s due to low sugar content). Filtering through cotton wool solves this problem. The remaining brandied cherries can be used for baking.

If stored away from direct sunlight this cherry infused brandy’s shelf-life is up to 5 years. 29-35% ABV (depends on the sugar content).

Cherry Infused Brandy Recipe

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