Name: Cherry Bounce
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 1 (750-ml) bottle brandy; 1 1⁄4 cups sugar; 1 pound frozen sour cherries; 2 whole allspice berries (optional); 1 whole clove (optional)

Why This Recipe Works

A cherry bounce is sweet and fruity yet strong and can be sipped as is or combined with other ingredients for a cocktail. Making it involves combining cherries, sugar, and booze and then letting time do the work. Martha Washington was known to make large batches of cherry bounce as a way to preserve seasonal cherries while making a flavorful sipper. George Washington wrote in his notes that he packed a canteen of Martha’s cherry bounce (alongside canteens of port and Madeira) for a trip west across the Allegheny Mountains in 1784. Some recipes for cherry bounce call for whiskey. Joy of Cooking has a version calling for just “alcohol.” But Washington was one of many to opt for brandy. She also added spices to hers, which gives it a nice warming quality and makes it a good fit for the holidays (if yours lasts that long past cherry season).

Before You Begin

A quality brandy makes a difference here. We suggest seeking out one that is moderately aged, such as VSOP. We prefer the flavor and convenience of frozen sour cherries in this recipe. Feel free to use an equal weight of stemmed and pitted fresh sour cherries, if they are in season. If necessary, an equal amount of frozen mixed sweet and sour cherries can be substituted. Save the empty brandy bottle; you can use it to store the cherry bounce once it is ready.

Instructions

Whisk 1 (750-ml) bottle brandy and 1¼ cups sugar in large bowl or container until sugar has nearly dissolved. Stir in 1 pound frozen sour cherries, then stir in 2 whole allspice berries and 1 whole clove, if using. Cover and store in cool, dark place for 1 month, stirring mixture weekly.

Set fine-mesh strainer in 8-cup liquid measuring cup or large bowl. Strain brandy mixture through strainer; discard spices and reserve cherries for another use. Transfer cherry bounce to jar and seal. (Cherry bounce can be stored in cool, dark place for up to 2 years; stir before enjoying.)