David T Smith serves up knowledge and cocktail ideas for our very own Master medal-winning Cherry Gin...

Who doesn’t love cherry? This plump little stone fruit is a popular flavour in a lot of food and drinks: from cherry bakewell to cherry cola, and cherry pie to cherryade. But what about something a little bit stronger than bottles of fizzy cherryade pop? There’s dry Kirschwasser, super-sweet Cherry Brandy (a particular favourite of my great grandmother - for medicinal purposes only, of course), and now there’s something in the middle: Cherry Gin.

The Cherry Gin takes a classic gin base, made with the most traditional of botanicals, and adds both sweet and sour marasca cherries. Known for their ability to give you fuller, thicker lashes - scratch that, that’s mascara cherries…

Tasting Notes

Nose: Plump and juicy - homemade cherry pie with a generous scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
Taste: The succulent fruity sweetness of cherry, a touch of spice, and a slight citrus tang.
Finish: The lingering tartness of sour cherries, accompanied by the juniper berry, which makes an encore appearance.

Whilst the gin is extremely sippable over ice or served frappe with a wedge of lime, it really shines in mixed drinks. The most obvious (and slightly controversial) of which is with cola.

Cherry (Gin) Cola
35ml Cherry Gin
5-10ml Lime Juice
150ml Cola
Add ingredients to a well-iced glass.

The rich and juicy cherry notes are perfectly offset by the light twang of lime, which adds balance and zest. A simple, but refreshing drink.

Old-Time Cherry-Chocolate Float
35ml Cherry Gin
150ml Sparkling Water
Chocolate Syrup
Vanilla ice-cream

Coat a tall glass with chocolate syrup
Add Cherry Gin
Add 100ml Chilled Sparkling Water
Add 1 small scoop of vanilla ice-cream
Top up with the rest of the sparkling water
Add a straw, sip and enjoy.

This drink is an indulgent treat and a nice alternative to a dessert. No ice is needed, so it is neither too cold nor too watery.

Cherry Rickey
25ml Cherry Gin
Juice of half a lime
75ml Sparkling Water
Add ingredients to a well-iced glass.

A light and refreshing drink with tart zestiness from the lime; sweet, fruity, jammy nature of the cherry; and intriguing, dry hints of dry gin botanicals on the finish. Balanced and moreish.

The Chezney
25ml Cherry Gin
25ml Luxury Coffee Liqueur (such as Conker Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur)
150ml Chilled Sparkling Water

A slightly dryer and more complex version of the Old-Time Cherry-Chocolate Float, with the coffee adding dark, bold flavours and a hint of bitterness that balances out the sweetness of the fruit gin.

These are just a few ideas for drinks using the Cherry Gin, but there are plenty more to be discovered. Chocolate and cherry is a great combination to try, but - perhaps unexpectedly - cherry and basil is another winning partnership, amongst many others - there are so many possibilities!

DTS

Off-trade/on-trade enquiries should be directed to our UK distributor, Maverick Drinks.