My friend Nico gave me a bottle of Grappa for my 50th birthday with the promise I only drink it with him. Sadly, he passed away before we could enjoy that tipple together so I decided to use the grappa to make a few jars of drunken cherries.
Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Drunken Cherries ♥
Dave and I have a nightly ritual. He cuts up crudités and I pour us a drink. Usually that is a single malt whisky but in winter when the fire is on it could be red wine. And in summer our preference is for something long and cold while sitting in the pool. Over December I drank far more than I usually do. We had pre-dinner drinks, wine with our meal and some nights a liqueur or Port. I decided that I would jump onto the wagon for the first three weeks of January. Not only to give my liver a break, but also to try and drop the weight I gained over our holiday. Because I don’t have a need to drink, I found this extremely easy. I drank tonic water or ginger beer when Dave had a beer while we cooled down in the pool.
Today’s inspirational recipe from Lavender and Lime ♥ Drunken Cherries ♥ #LavenderAndLime Share on X
I must say that I felt no different from not having had a drink for 21 days. The reason it was so short was because like all good Scots, we celebrate Burns Night. This is always done at our house on the Saturday closest to the actual date. And there was no reason for me to not drink and enjoy a wee dram with friends. As an aside, I also did not drop the weight I had gained. For the entire time I was not drinking I was snacking. And my training did not increase to its usual levels as it was far too hot to be in the gym in the afternoons. If you drink, have you ever done an alcohol free period? If so, how long did you do it for, and why?
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Drunken Cherries
Ingredients
- 250 mls water
- 210 g fructose
- 1 quill cinnamon
- 500 g cherries
- Grappa to fill your jars
Method
- Place the water and fructose into a saucepan and bring to a boil over a medium to high temperature, stirring until the fructose dissolves
- Once boiling, add the cinnamon and boil for 2 minutes
- Set aside to cool while you prick each cherry 5 times with a needle or pin
- Place the cherries into a sterilized glass jar (or jars if you want to give some away as gifts) *
- Pour the simple syrup ¾ of the way up the jar and top with grappa
- Seal and leave for at least 4 weeks for the alcohol to infuse the cherries **
Notes
** these are not suitable for children!
Inspiration published on Lavender and Lime January 31:
- 2021: The Coast-to-Coast Murders
- 2020: Pickled Mushrooms
- 2018: Rojaal
- 2013: Mixed Berry Jam With Ginger And Lime
- 2012: Turnip And Spinach Soup
- 2011: Sofia’s at Morgenster
I never have grappa, and haven’t made drunken cherries, but they look divine. We eat any cherries we buy here because they are so expensive. I try to be alcohol free a couple of days a week, things have been a bit tough lately so haven’t considered an alcohol free period.:)
I did 3 weeks this year to start off the new year. Must say I did not feel any different.
How delicious
Thank you!
I tried grappa once. Never again! It’s like jet fuel! I’m so sorry about your friend. But you did him right making these cherries.
jet fuel is the perfect way to describe grappa!
I love to do this with dark concord grapes and rum also.
I wish we got those grapes here!
So we are non-drinkers here, for no particular reason we just don’t drink. Maybe because Tom and I grew up with some alcoholics in the family and it never appealed to us for the reason. But…I did buy my first bottle of red wine to put it in my pot roast. And boy did it make it more tasty and scrumptious!
Cooking with alcohol is another flavour dimension for sure. Sorry to hear you grew up with alcoholics. That cannot have been easy.
I might not have a drink often, but I won’t refuse some cream liquor in my coffee or over my ice cream. Does this count? 🙂
And by the way, I won’t mind these drunken cherries over my ice cream, too!
Over ice cream sounds good, and should be considered part of the dessert 😉
I stopped drinking for a couple of years for health reasons, but then I switched doctors and she told me it was ok to have a beer now and then. Thankfully, that was right before we moved to London for a couple of months. It made the London trip much more enjoyable… 🙂
London without beer would just not be the same 😉
It’s sad that your friend died before you could drink the grappa with him. Adding it to the cherries is a nice way to memorialize him.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
It was very sad at the time, and I still miss him 🙁
HI Tandy, I tried to post a comment from my phone yesterday and it doesn’t seem to have posted. So annoying. I have a drink most nights, either a wine spritzer or a brandy and coke. I am not very keen on giving up my daily treat. Thanks for this recipe, it sounds very nice.
I never took you for a brandy and coke person 😉
I have never done a period of alcohol free living. I was excited thinking it might help you lose the holiday weight I am struggling with too. But forget it now!
It was a good detox, and I am still having no alcohol during the week 🙂