Cherry Liqueur at Home

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather the ingredients from the list. A liqueur differs from other spirits in that it's sweeter and made from berries or fruit with added sugar. There are many recipes for cherry liqueur; here's one of the simplest and quickest. You can use fresh or frozen cherries. Use only good-quality vodka for drinks like this.

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the cherries and remove the stems. If you like, you can pit them — the pits are said to contain prussic acid, which is harmful, but there's so little that the drink is really quite safe. The pits, though, give the drink a pleasant almond note. Prick each cherry with a toothpick.

3. Step 3:

   

   Pour cold water into a saucepan, set it over the heat, add the sugar, and stir until it dissolves. Add the cherries to the sugar syrup. Simmer them in the syrup for about 10 minutes from the moment it boils, over medium heat. Turn off the heat and let the cherries cool.

4. Step 4:

   

   Pour the cherries and syrup into a glass jar. Pour the vodka into the jar with the cherries.

5. Step 5:

   

   Seal the jar with a tight lid and put it in a dark place for two weeks. A kitchen cabinet works as a dark place.

6. Step 6:

   

   After that time, strain the drink through several layers of cheesecloth. Pour the liqueur into clean, prepared bottles. Chill it well in the refrigerator and serve. Surprise your guests with a fragrant, delicious homemade cherry liqueur!