Howies Spiked Cherries

Howies Spiked Cherries are a cocktail garnish and mixer-shelf ingredient, not a spirit to sip. The name points to cherries infused with alcohol. The listing gives no ABV, base spirit, or flavor details, so check the label for those. Cherries in this style usually have a deep, jammy sweetness, a little tartness, and a boozy warmth that comes through when you bite one. The syrup or liquid they sit in is usually worth keeping, since it carries much of the flavor. Use them where you would use a maraschino or brandied cherry. They suit spirit-forward drinks like the Manhattan, Old Fashioned, and Rob Roy. There the fruit does more than decorate: it adds a sweet, slightly spirited finish to the last sips. Drop one or two into a rocks glass or coupe at the end, rather than muddling them, so the fruit stays whole. They also work in a Whiskey Sour or Amaretto Sour, where a cherry on a pick balances the acidity. In a Shirley Temple-style soda or a Tom Collins, a spiked cherry adds a touch of sweetness and some alcohol character. Because the cherries are spiked, count them toward the drink's total alcohol when you build a mocktail. Serve them cold, straight from the fridge, so they are firm and don't warm the drink. Use a cocktail pick or a small spoon to lift them out. A chilled coupe, Nick & Nora, or double rocks glass shows off a single dark cherry well. Beyond cocktails, expect them to work spooned over vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate desserts, or cheesecake. Treat them as an alcohol-containing ingredient when you serve them.