Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Rinse the cherries under cold water and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel. Use a cherry pitter or a sharp paring knife to remove all the pits, working over a bowl to catch any juices.
- Place the pitted cherries in your large glass jar and pour the sugar over them. Gently stir or shake the jar to coat the cherries evenly with sugar.
- Pour the bourbon over the sugared cherries until they are completely submerged. Add the allspice berries if using them. Make sure every cherry sits below the liquid line.
- Secure the lid tightly on your jar and give it a good shake to help dissolve the sugar. Place the jar in a cool, dark spot like a pantry or cupboard away from direct sunlight.
- Shake the jar gently once every day or two for the first week, then a few times a week after that for 3 to 4 weeks total infusion time.
- After three weeks, open the jar and taste a small spoonful of the liquid. If you want a stronger cherry flavor, let it infuse for another week.
- Set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour the entire contents of the jar through it. Let it drain naturally for a few minutes, then press gently on the cherries with the back of a spoon to extract extra liquid. Reserve the boozy cherries for another use.
- Line your strainer with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and strain the liquid one more time into a clean container to remove any fine sediment.
- Use a funnel to pour the finished cherry bounce into clean bottles with tight-fitting lids. Store in the refrigerator for up to six months or at room temperature for up to a year unopened.
Notes
Don't toss those bourbon-soaked cherries after straining. They're incredible over ice cream, in cocktails, or baked into a boozy chocolate cake. Label your jar with the start date so you don't lose track of how long it's been infusing. Store finished cherry bounce in the refrigerator if you plan to keep it longer than three months for best flavor preservation.