Cherries

Cherries in the cocktail-mixer category are a garnish and flavoring ingredient rather than a spirit, so they're used in the glass, not poured. The listing doesn't say whether this jar holds maraschino-style, brandied or dark preserved cherries. Check the label for the variety, stems and packing liquid before planning a recipe around it. Products like this usually bring sweet, fruity cherry flavor with a soft, syrupy texture, and the liquid in the jar often carries as much flavor as the fruit. The classic use is the finishing touch on stirred, spirit-forward drinks. One cherry dropped into an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan adds a small sweet-fruit note against bourbon, rye or sweet vermouth. It also belongs in a Whiskey Sour, where it sits alongside the lemon and sugar. For a Tom Collins, a Singapore Sling or a Shirley Temple-style soda, drop one into the finished drink so it sinks slowly. If the cherries are packed in syrup, add a teaspoon of that liquid to a drink. Because it is sweet, cut back on any other sugar in the recipe. For serving, keep the jar refrigerated after opening. Cold cherries won't warm a chilled drink. Lift them out with a cocktail pick or a clean spoon, and drain them briefly so extra syrup doesn't cloud a clear drink. They work in a rocks glass with a large ice cube, in a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass, or in a tall highball. They also suit non-drink uses, such as topping ice cream, yogurt or baked desserts, or going on a charcuterie board next to sharp cheeses. If you plan to serve a batch of drinks, count one cherry per glass, and two if you want the garnish to read as a feature.