Krasdale Maraschino Cherries

Krasdale Maraschino Cherries are a cocktail garnish and a pantry staple, not a beer or cider, so the usual hops and ABV notes don't apply. Cherries in this style are typically stemmed or stemless fruit packed in a sweet syrup, with a bright red color, a firm-but-tender bite, and a mild almond-like sweetness. Check the label for the exact count, syrup and stem details. Expect a candied, sugary cherry flavor with very little tartness. That makes them a different thing from dark, spirit-soaked cocktail cherries. The classic use is the finishing garnish on whiskey drinks. In a Manhattan, one cherry dropped into a chilled coupe or a Nick & Nora glass adds a small sweet counterpoint to rye and vermouth. An Old Fashioned served in a rocks glass over a large cube takes a cherry the same way. They also suit a Whiskey Sour, a Tom Collins, a Singapore Sling and a Pink Lady. For non-alcoholic drinks, they are the standard finish for a Shirley Temple or a cherry cola in a tall highball glass. The syrup is useful too. A small spoonful sweetens and tints a drink, but go easy: it is much sweeter than most bitters-driven recipes expect, so taste before adding more. Away from the bar, the cherries suit ice cream sundaes, milkshakes, baked ham glazes, fruit cakes and pineapple upside-down cake, where their color and sweetness are a feature. For serving, keep the jar in the refrigerator once opened, and use a cocktail pick or spoon rather than fingers to keep the syrup clean. Cold cherries hold their bite better in a drink, and they keep the glass colder than room-temperature fruit would. Drain and pat dry the cherry briefly if you want to keep its syrup from clouding a clear spirit-forward cocktail.