cherry cognac

[winemaker81]

Last year we over-purchased cherries and I had a bag of overripe cherries that I was going to have to toss. Being frugal (that's being nice, realistically I'm cheap), I pitted the cherries and put them in a jar with inexpensive cognac. I let 'em steep a couple of months, strain it, diluted from 80 proof down to 60 proof with a 1:1 sugar syrup. I netted three 375 ml bottles + most of a 4th.

It came out pretty good, we finished the 4th bottle, and the other 3 have been sitting on the shelf since then. I opened one the other night and am very pleased.

Now? We did the over-buying thing again, as my wife & I got wires crossed. So on the 30th, I mixed 22 oz pitted cherries with 6-3/4 cups cognac (actually French brandy, which I like better the cheap American brandy), and started a new batch. When I was done I was concerned that I had too little fruit for the amount of cognac.

Cherries in Aldi's were very inexpensive today, so I purchased another pound. Most of the remainder of last week's purchase (12 oz) went into the mix, so the ratio is 34 oz cherries to 6-3/4 cups cognac. The color is already beautiful after 4 days of steeping, although the aroma is more cognac than cherry at this point. In a couple of months that will change.



https://wine.bkfazekas.com/cherry-cognac-2021-june/

 

[Ty520]

Nice. I do the same with bourbon for cocktail cherries.

Also really nice to do fruit infused gin

 

[Khristyjeff]

Last year we over-purchased cherries and I had a bag of overripe cherries that I was going to have to toss. Being frugal (that's being nice, realistically I'm cheap), I pitted the cherries and put them in a jar with inexpensive cognac. I let 'em steep a couple of months, strain it, diluted from 80 proof down to 60 proof with a 1:1 sugar syrup. I netted three 375 ml bottles + most of a 4th.

It came out pretty good, we finished the 4th bottle, and the other 3 have been sitting on the shelf since then. I opened one the other night and am very pleased.

Now? We did the over-buying thing again, as my wife & I got wires crossed. So on the 30th, I mixed 22 oz pitted cherries with 6-3/4 cups cognac (actually French brandy, which I like better the cheap American brandy), and started a new batch. When I was done I was concerned that I had too little fruit for the amount of cognac.

Cherries in Aldi's were very inexpensive today, so I purchased another pound. Most of the remainder of last week's purchase (12 oz) went into the mix, so the ratio is 34 oz cherries to 6-3/4 cups cognac. The color is already beautiful after 4 days of steeping, although the aroma is more cognac than cherry at this point. In a couple of months that will change.

View attachment 76177

https://wine.bkfazekas.com/cherry-cognac-2021-june/

Were those Bing cherries at Aldi or something else? Sounds tasty.

 

[winemaker81]

Nice. I do the same with bourbon for cocktail cherries. Also really nice to do fruit infused gin

I'm debating on buying more cherries as I have most of a 1.75 liter bottle of bourbon.

Cherries in gin? Huh, hadn't considered that, but it sounds interesting. I like the Tanqueray w/lime, now I'm thinking of making my own version ....

Were those Bing cherries at Aldi or something else? Sounds tasty.

All are red cherries, but I'm not 100% positive all are Bing. The first bag was from Harris Teeter, the second from CostCo, and the last from Aldi's.

@Ty520 is got me thinking about stopping at Aldi's today and getting another bag, as I have most of a 1.75 liter bottle of Evan Williams 10 yo in the cabinet ...

 

[Ty520]

I'm debating on buying more cherries as I have most of a 1.75 liter bottle of bourbon.

Cherries in gin? Huh, hadn't considered that, but it sounds interesting. I like the Tanqueray w/lime, now I'm thinking of making my own version ....


All are red cherries, but I'm not 100% positive all are Bing. The first bag was from Harris Teeter, the second from CostCo, and the last from Aldi's.

@Ty520 is got me thinking about stopping at Aldi's today and getting another bag, as I have most of a 1.75 liter bottle of Evan Williams 10 yo in the cabinet ...

Not just cherries in gin - other berries as well. Blackberry is a personal favorite

 

[winemaker81]

I strained the cherries the other night, running the liquid through coffee filters to remove the sediment. Last night I made 1:1 sugar syrup and blended in the ratio: 3 cups cherry-cognac with 1 cup syrup and 1 oz glycerin. I had a bit more than two 750 ml bottles of base, so I netted 5.5 split bottles. [The extra half bottle is in the cupboard, calling my name seductively!]

The flavor is quite different from the last time -- it's not as strong in the cognac flavor, which I attribute to the larger amount of cherries and the longer maceration time. I like this one better.

Next I need to print a sheet of labels. The background graphic is a chateau in Cognac.

 

[MarcOlivetti]

Bryan, why don’t you save ~1\2 cup of those strained Cherries to mix up in Jell-O. My parents use to make Apricot, Peach, and Cherry Brandy using the fruit after straining in Jell-O. It was an Easter favorite and really packed a punch.

 

[winemaker81]

I opened a bottle recently. Overall, it wasn't bad, but the cherry flavor is muted. If I try this again, I'm going to boil commercial cherry juice to reduce to 1/4, and backsweeten with that.

 

[Ty520]

i completely forgot i had this book, but for future reference for infused liqueur recipes, i suggest getting a copy of Home Production of Vodkas, Infusions & Liqueurs by the Marianski brothers (more known for their sausage recipe books). you can find their books for a good price on abebooks and thriftbooks

 

[winemanden]

Bryan, why don’t you save ~1\2 cup of those strained Cherries to mix up in Jell-O. My parents use to make Apricot, Peach, and Cherry Brandy using the fruit after straining in Jell-O. It was an Easter favorite and really packed a punch.

You got it Marc, Steeped fruit is too good to waste. Over in Germany they make Rumtopf in a large jar, by putting in a layer of fruit and cover it with rum, (any spirit will do). As the year goes on, they add whatever fruit is in season, and keep covering it with rum. By the time Christmas comes round they have a large jar of boozy fruit to enjoy. Just the job!

 

[Bmd2k1]

I use this for my hard ciders...it's excellent!

https://www.fruitfast.com/cherryjuice

 

[welshcookie]

You got it Marc, Steeped fruit is too good to waste. Over in Germany they make Rumtopf in a large jar, by putting in a layer of fruit and cover it with rum, (any spirit will do). As the year goes on, they add whatever fruit is in season, and keep covering it with rum. By the time Christmas comes round they have a large jar of boozy fruit to enjoy. Just the job!

We lived in Germany when I was a kid and parents were really into making Rumtopf.I managed to knock one off the countertop one day in the height of summer...there was great sadness mixed with wasps and panic but it smelled amazing!

 

[Sailor323]

Bryan, why don’t you save ~1\2 cup of those strained Cherries to mix up in Jell-O. My parents use to make Apricot, Peach, and Cherry Brandy using the fruit after straining in Jell-O. It was an Easter favorite and really packed a punch.

There is a terrific cake in Trinidadan cuisine that uses infused fruit as a major ingredient--2-3 lbs of fruit macerated in rum for months--Trinidad black cake.

 

[winemaker81]

I had 2 bottles left, which I've ignored as I was not as happy with the result. Just for the heckuvit I opened one tonight.

WOW!

The unbalanced cognac and cherry flavors is gone -- the liqueur is much more balanced. The cherry flavor is strong, but not medicinal. The cognac flavor is muted and is supporting the cherry, not overwhelming it. It appears it just needed more time.

In the summer when cherries are fresh I'll start another batch, with the plan to age it at least 2.5 years before touching it.

 

[Shurt1073]

Pretty cool story starting in July 2021.

 

[Journayaza]

If you're concerned about having too little fruit, adding more cherries should help. It sounds like the color and aroma are already developing nicely, so that's a good sign. You might try adding a bit of spice, like cinnamon or vanilla, to see if it complements the flavor. I'm sure this batch will turn out just as good, if not better, than the last one.

 

[Journayaza]

If you're concerned about having too little fruit, adding more cherries should help. It sounds like the color and aroma are already developing nicely, so that's a good sign. You might try adding a bit of spice, like cinnamon or vanilla, to see if it complements the flavor. I'm sure this batch will turn out just as good, if not better, than the last one.

Using cherries like that is such a great way to make the most of your purchase! Last summer, I accidentally did something similar with peaches. I had a bunch that were about to go bad, so I decided to infuse them in a jar with White Hennessy. It turned into this fantastic peachy brandy mix. After a couple of months, it tasted amazing and had this rich, smooth flavor.