Maple Cherry Charmer Cocktail

Waste not, want not.

This motto is something that’s been ingrained in me since I was a child and shows up in small ways in my everyday life. For this Maple Cherry Charmer cocktail, it appears in the use of the leftover syrup from the jar of Luxardo cherries. The cherries are both delicious and expensive, so I could not let the syrup in the jar go to waste, could I?

If you’re looking for a cocktail that’s seasonal, warming, and luscious, this is for you. In California, oranges ripen in winter, and real maple syrup is practically a birthright in many cold-weather parts of the country. Combined with bourbon and cherry, I’m not sure you could make a more American cocktail.

If you love craft cocktails and aren’t familiar with Luxardo cherries, these are not your typical Shirly Temple maraschino red-dye-#5-infused cherry. These are the real deal. They are Marasca cherries soaked in a thick syrup made from Marasca cherry juice. These cherries have been made in Italy for over 100 years and yes, they’re pricy, but a little goes a long way. They’re perfect for a Manhattan or Last Word Cocktail, or even on top of ice cream.

Once only found in fancy restaurants and bars, you can now find Luxardo Cherries on Amazon and at places like Bevmo and your local specialty liquor shop. I recently saw them sold in a two-pack at Costco. Their popularity has really taken off in the last few years as the interest in craft cocktails has increased.

A note about the cocktail shaker shown in the photos. This is a new shaker, totally reinvented by Elevated Craft. My mother gave one to me as a gift when she bought two of them during their original Indiegogo campaign. I’m typically wary of things sold this way; they tend to over promise and under deliver.

Let me say this; this cocktail shaker is a game-changer. It is by far, the best cocktail shaker I have ever used and this is not exaggeration or hyperbole. I’ve been using it for a few months now and it does everything it promises.

Because of the screw-top design, the top never gets stuck from getting too cold and it doesn’t leak. The shaker is insulated so it does not “sweat” condensation on the outside. In fact, it’s so well insulated that there’s usually still ice inside the following morning. Inside the cap are measuring lines down to 1/2 an ounce, so no need to use a separate jigger, just measure in the cap.

Two caveats; first, the measuring lines aren’t exactly intuitive so read the booklet that comes with it first, and second, always make sure the small top cap is on before measuring. I learned this the hard (and messy) way.

There’s even a very active Elevated Craft Crew Facebook page where people share the cocktails they’ve made using the shaker.

Print Recipe

Maple Cherry Charmer

A bourbon cocktail with maple syrup, orange, and cherry.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bourbon, cherry, cocktails

Servings: 1 cocktail

Equipment

• Elevated Craft Cocktail Shaker

Ingredients

• 2 oz Bourbon
• 1 oz fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 2 teaspoon real maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon Luxardo cherry syrup from the jar of Luxardo cherries
• 2 dashes spiced bitters
• garnish with orange peel and Luxardo cherry

Instructions

• Use a zester to remove a 3" to 4" long section of orange peel for garnish and set aside. Squeeze fresh juice from the orange.

  Place a Luxardo cherry and the orange zest on a skewer and set aside.
• Place ice in a cocktail shaker. Add the bourbon, orange juice, maple syrup, and Luxardo syrup (from the jar of cherries) into the shaker. Cap and shake for 10 seconds. Pour into a cocktail glass.

  Garnish with the skewer of orange peel and Luxardo cherry.

Notes

If you want more of a cherry forward flavor, feel free to flip to the recipe to use 2 teaspoons of the Luxardo cherry syrup and 1 teaspoon of the maple syrup.

Use your favorite Bourbon; I've used both Knob Creek and Maker's Mark for this cocktail and both were equally good.

The spiced bitters are from Trader Joe's but you could also try Fee Brothers Cherry Bitters or another brand.

If you are interested in the Elevated Craft cocktail shaker click here

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