AUGUST 2020 59Smoked Cherry Bounce
ACTIVE 35 MIN; TOTAL 2 HR 40 MIN, PLUS
3 MONTHS RESTING; SERVES 26Smoking juicy, sweet Bing cherries
infuses them with a heady, savory aroma.
The depth carries into boozy cherry
bounce—after a three-month rest. Plenty
of sugar, a touch of bright lemon juice,
and smooth brandy round out this vibrant
homemade cordial.Cherry wood chunks
6 cups fresh Bing cherries (about 1^3 / 4
lb.), stemmed and pitted, divided
2 cups granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 qt. (32 oz.) brandy or rye whiskey- Prepare smoker with cherry wood
chunks according to manufacturer’s
instructions, bringing internal tempera-
ture to about 225°F; maintain tempera-
ture 15 to 20 minutes. Place 1 cup (about
41 / 2 ounces) cherries in an even layer in an
8-inch square disposable aluminum pan,
SOMEONE RECENTLY BROKE INTO MY HOME and opened my cherry
bounce. Had my husband and I not discovered the metal fire door
ripped off the hasp and set aside, I’d have assumed that an ambitious
possum or possibly a thirsty ghost had lifted the hefty crystal stopper
from the bottle, but here we are. Where cherry bounce flows, mischief
frequently follows.
The origins and definitive composition of this cherry cordial are
murky (who among us hasn’t tried to coax booze out of whatever fruit
we have in excess?). Early British recipes use a brandy base, a White
House recipe from the 1880s (Martha Washington’s personal archives included notes
on it) calls for “good whisky,” North Carolina moonshiner Amos “The Cherry Bounce
King” Owens deployed honey instead of sugar, and my grandmother-in-law’s 1943
edition of Joy of Cooking just says “alcohol,” so perhaps the mayhem is as essential an
ingredient as cherries, sugar, and patience. Maybe that’s what made my own delight
and freedom to experiment inevitable.
I’ve got cherries tattooed on my back and fire on one of my shoulders, so the two
were destined to canoodle in my barrel smoker at some point during the peak of the
season, but the exercise in delayed gratification that making good bounce entails might
add to the madness. Open that sucker up before Christmas and it’s most likely quite
good, but nothing like the sweet, hazy, high-proof elixir that caused—after very small
amounts!—one friend to spontaneously nap on the couch, a beloved relative to tumble
into the bushes, and another friend who quite emphatically “does not dance” to leap
up and kick-flip like Molly Ringwald in a high school library. Though I suspect he’d
just been wanting to and knew he could blame it on the bounce.
Sip it straight from a cordial glass, substitute it for vermouth to make a Bouncegroni
or a Bouncehattan, or figure out your own favorite way to quaff cherry bounce. It’s
fine to just let the spirit move you.Blame It on
the Bounce
Where this
cordial flows,
mischief
follows.
By Kat Kinsman
COCKTAIL HOUR
and place on smoker grates. Close lid.
Smoke cherries, maintaining temperature
inside smoker around 225°F, until cher-
ries are infused with desired degree of
smoky flavor, 30 minutes to 1 hour and 30
minutes, shaking pan occasionally.- Combine smoked cherries, sugar,
lemon juice, and remaining 5 cups fresh
cherries in a large saucepan. Bring to a
simmer over medium. Reduce heat to
medium-low, and simmer, stirring occa-
sionally, until sugar is dissolved and mix-
ture is very juicy, about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat, and let cool 1 hour. - Pour cherry mixture into a large, clean
lidded jar, and top with brandy. Screw lid
on tightly, and store in a cool, dark place
for 3 months. —KAT KINSMAN
NOTE Don’t rush this cordial; our testers
found it drinkable after 2 months but
exponentially smoother after 3 months.