Cherry schnapps

Cherry schnapps - based on wild, dark coloured or black cherries - has a beautiful colour and a rich, wonderful and liqueur-like taste with hint of almond.

Serve with desserts, ice creams, pies, cheese and cheese cakes - or add a little schnapps to your fruit sauces, jams and marmalades.

Very fine as after-dinner drink.

Blends very well with...
blackberry schnapps · raspberry schnapps · almond schnapps.

Also, see how you can easily...
turn your cherry schnapps into a liqueur.

Wild cherry

The wild cherry tree belongs to the same genus (Prunus) as peach, apricot, plum, almond and sloe (blackthorn).

During blossom season it produces masses of beautiful, white flowers.

The berries are very aromatic and range in colours from yellow over orange, red, deep red to almost black.

Here in Denmark, wild cherries grow in chalky soil in woods, wood edges, windbreaks, and old grazing fields.

The wild cherry tree is very common on the small island of Bornholm, and scattered throughout other parts of the country.

More information about the wild cherry tree

Recipe

For best result, use whole wild cherries - or whole sour or tart cherries (Prunus cerasus).

You can use common garden cherries.

But you get a much better result with wild cherries - and even better if you use the small, dark coloured or black ones. They are much more aromatic.

The cherries must be fully ripe and juicy before you pick them.

Direction:

• Rinse the cherries carefully.
• Leave them to dry in the shadow - on paper towel.
• Use a clean glass jar with tight-fitting lid.
• Fill 2/3 of the jar with whole cherries.

• If you want a more prominent almond flavour you can add a few broken cherry pits (place the pits in a clean cloth and hit with a hammer).
• Fill up with clear, unflavoured vodka - 40% alcohol content (80 proof).
• Steep for at least 3 months in a dark place at room temperature,18-20°C (64-68°F).
• Shake lightly and taste it from time to time.
• Strain and filter your infusion into a clean glass bottle or jar with tight-fitting lid.

You can serve your cherry schnapps after it has settled for a couple of days - it has a wonderful taste.

Or you can store (age) it for a month or longer in a dark place at room temperature before serving.

Note: If for some reason you are not satisfied with your infusion, there are ways to adjust both taste and flavours - click here to see how.

Serve your cherry schnapps at room temperature in suitable glasses. And remember to keep your schnapps bottle tightly closed and in a dark place before and between servings.