{"id":"13828e80-b39c-47fd-be27-f7820ca3489b","url":"https://recipestripper.com/recipes/13828e80-b39c-47fd-be27-f7820ca3489b","source_url":"https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1027664-cherry-bounce","title":"Cherry Bounce","description":"In common 18th century fashion, the cherry bounce recipe attributed to Martha Washington calls for steeping fresh tart Morello cherries in sugar, spices and brandy for months, which allows the alcohol to pull intense flavor from the fruit. You can achieve similar results in a fraction of the time by heating the ingredients together briefly before steeping for just 24 hours. According to some lore, “bounce” refers to the arcane use of the word meaning to “hit” or “slap” because of the high alcohol content. Cherry bounce was a drink that showed off an 18th century host’s wealth because, other than the cherries, most of the ingredients were imported and expensive. This version can make use of fresh cherries from the farmers’ market or frozen ones from the supermarket, depending on the time of year but be sure that you use “tart” or “sour” cherries. Bing and other sweet varieties will make a cloying, syrupy drink. Cherry bounce is traditionally served as a simple cordial, but the ruby drink is also refreshing with seltzer, at a 1-to-3 ratio, and garnished with a slice of lemon. Although not conventional, the bounce is lovely warmed and served in a demitasse cup garnished with an orange peel twist.","servings":6,"servings_text":"6 cups","total_time":"P1DT10M","ingredients":[{"text":"4 cups/about 20 ounces fresh or frozen pitted tart cherries (such as Morello or Montmorency)","item":"cups/about 20 ounces fresh or frozen pitted tart cherries","quantity":4,"preparation":"such as Morello or Montmorency"},{"text":"3 cups tart cherry juice","item":"tart cherry juice","quantity":3,"unit":"cup"},{"text":"¾ cup sugar","item":"sugar","quantity":0.75,"unit":"cup"},{"text":"1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick","item":"(3-inch) cinnamon stick","quantity":1},{"text":"2 cloves","item":"2 cloves","quantity":2,"unit":"clove"},{"text":"¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg","item":"freshly grated nutmeg","quantity":0.25,"unit":"tsp"},{"text":"2 cups high-quality brandy or Cognac","item":"high-quality brandy or Cognac","quantity":2,"unit":"cup"},{"text":"Seltzer","item":"Seltzer"},{"text":"Ice","item":"Ice"},{"text":"Lemon slices","item":"Lemon slices"}],"instructions":[{"number":1,"text":"Place the cherries and ¼ cup water in a large nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Cover and allow to simmer for 1 minute."},{"number":2,"text":"Lightly mash the cherries in the pan and add ¾ cup water plus the cherry juice, sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves and nutmeg. Stir well and bring to a simmer, continually stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute."},{"number":3,"text":"Stir in the brandy or Cognac and cover. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to warm the mixture until it begins to gently boil, about 3 minutes."},{"number":4,"text":"Turn off the heat and let the mixture sit, covered, for at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours. (Alternatively the mixture can be bottled, sealed and put in a cool dry place for the flavors to continue to intensify, for up to three months.)"},{"number":5,"text":"Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean pitcher for immediate use. You can serve it neat, as is, or over ice — or mix with seltzer, at a ratio of roughly one part cherry bounce and three parts seltzer, and serve over ice, with a slice of lemon. Refrigerate any unused cherry bounce for up to 3 months, shaking the jar gently every few weeks and straining before using."}],"date_published":"2026-10-30T00:10:29.565465+00:00","date_modified":"2026-10-30T00:10:29.565465+00:00"}