Cherry Bounce
Fresh cherries, bourbon or brandy, sugar and spice, steeped for weeks and strained. George Washington's cordial from Mount Vernon — a liqueur to make in cherry season and drink at Christmas, neat or in an Old Fashioned.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Pit the cherries, crush half of them, and put all in a large jar with the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
Pour in the bourbon, seal, and shake to dissolve the sugar.
Steep in a cool, dark place for four to six weeks, shaking every few days.
Strain through a fine sieve and then a coffee filter into bottles; it keeps for a year and improves for months.
A thoughtful finish
- Sour cherries (Montmorency) are the Washingtons' and the best; sweet cherries need less sugar.
- A month minimum; three is better.
- Use the strained cherries over ice cream.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the pits in, which turn bitter over weeks.
- Too much sugar; the cherries bring their own.
- Straining too early.
A few good questions.
What does Cherry Bounce taste like?
Dark cherry and bourbon with a little spice — a homemade cherry liqueur, about 25% once strained.
How do I drink it?
Neat or over ice after dinner, or as the sweetener in a Manhattan or Old Fashioned.
Did Washington really make it?
Martha Washington's recipe is in the Mount Vernon papers, and George packed it for travel in 1784.
Brandy or bourbon?
The Washingtons used brandy; bourbon is the modern Southern choice.
Variations
- Cherry Manhattan — Rye, vermouth and cherry liqueur.
- Hunter — Rye and cherry liqueur.
- Blackberry Shrub Soda — Blackberry shrub and soda.
- Old Fashioned — Whiskey, sugar and bitters.
Where it comes from
c. 1780s · Virginia, United States · Mount Vernon
Cherry bounce is a colonial American cordial — cherries steeped in brandy or whiskey with sugar and spice for weeks, then strained — and Martha Washington’s recipe survives among the Mount Vernon papers: sour cherries crushed, their juice sweetened and spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, simmered and mixed with brandy. George Washington packed a canteen of it for a trip across the Alleghenies in 1784. It was the household liqueur of the Chesapeake and the South, made with whatever spirit was at hand, and it has come back with the craft revival: bourbon is now the usual spirit, and the strained bounce is drunk neat, over ice, or as the sweetener in an Old Fashioned or Manhattan. It needs a month.
Sources
- Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, Martha Washington's Cherry Bounce, current (reference)
- David Wondrich, Punch, 2010 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Cherry Bounce, 2014 (reference)
Strength. About 1.17 US standard drinks at an estimated 24.3% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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