Well, we know what you're drinking tonight and it looks fantastic! :worship:
I roomed with an Irish guy in grad school and he convinced me that fruit/juice components can make or break mixed drinks. Here is a cherry recipe to personalize your cocktail...
Ingredients
4 pounds whole bing cherries, stems and pits removed
8 cups brandy (just be sure to use something you’d like to drink)
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups granulated sugar
2 whole cinnamon sticks
2-3 whole cloves
Mason jars with tight fitting lids, for storing
Instructions
Clean your cherries, remove the stems, and remove the pits. Set them in a large bowl.
In a sauce pan, whisk together your brandy and sugars, then add in the cinnamon sticks and the cloves. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove the cloves and the cinnamon sticks from the mixture, and then pour it over the cherries. Stir to combine with a non-reactive wooden or plastic spoon, and allow the cherries and liquid to come to room temperature.
While the cherries cool, sterilize your jars. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, big enough to fit your jars, and drop the jars, with their lids, carefully into the water. Allow them to boil for 10 minutes, and then remove them with tongs. Change out the water, bring more to a boil again, and add the jars for another 10 minutes, along with the lids. Remove them again with tongs, and place them on a clean surface to cool off before jarring your cherries.
When you’re ready, divide the cherries and the liquid among your jars. I used 2 larger mason jars, but you can use whatever you like. Seal the lids on tightly, place them in the fridge, and don’t touch them (and I mean it) for at least 4 weeks. These will keep well in your fridge for up to 1 year.