Polar Black Cherry

Polar Black Cherry is a flavored soda water, which puts it in the mixer aisle rather than with standard sodas. Styles like this usually pair carbonation with a clear, fruit-forward cherry aroma and little to no sweetener. Check the label for exact sweetener, calorie and carbonation details, since those vary by line. Expect a dark-fruit nose, a crisp bubble, and a dry finish more like cherry skin than cherry candy. Served very cold, around 3 to 5 °C, flavored seltzer holds its carbonation and keeps the cherry note clean. Pour it over plenty of ice rather than adding ice to a warm bottle, because the fizz fades quickly once it warms. It works neat over ice as a stand-alone drink and as a long mixer where you want fruit flavor without extra sugar syrup or a heavy juice. As a mixer, black cherry soda water suits spirits that carry their own sweetness or spice. Bourbon and rye are the strongest matches, since vanilla, caramel and baking-spice notes sit well against dark cherry. Try 45 ml of bourbon over ice, topped with about 120 ml of the soda and a lemon wedge squeezed in. Vodka with a lime wedge gives a lighter, drier highball. A white or lightly aged rum with lime makes a cherry-lime cooler, and a split of tequila blanco with grapefruit and a splash of this soda adds a cherry edge to a Paloma-style drink. For a mocktail, build it over muddled mint and lime with a dash of aromatic bitters. Use a tall highball or Collins glass filled with ice, which keeps the drink cold and shows the red tint. Pour the soda gently down the side of the glass or along a bar spoon, and stir once at most to preserve the bubbles. A lime or lemon wheel is the usual garnish, and a real cherry on a pick works if you have one. At the table, the soda goes well with salty and smoky foods such as barbecue, pulled pork, burgers and salted pretzels, where the cherry and fizz cut through fat and salt.