Rainier Cherry Cocktail
One the fruits I love on this very planet is rainier cherries. If the cherries are at the market then I’m buying them regardless of the price. Sweet and tart rainier cherries are from Washington state and named after Mount Rainier. This Rainier Cherry Cocktail is sweet and tart cocktail that is refreshing on a summer day.
Rainier Cherries Did You Know:
Rainier cherries are a cultivar of cherry. The cherry was developed in 1952 at Washington State University by Harold Fogle. Rainier cherries were named after Mount Rainier. It is a cross between the ‘Bing’ and ‘Van’ cultivars. Yet another fantastic food from Washington state.
Where Do I Find Rainier Cherries:
Here in Texas the Rainier cherries usually show up in the market as early as May through June. However, sometimes we will see Rainier cherries through out the summer season. Just like the cocktail above I love to use these cherries on other dishes just like this Jamaican Jerk Chicken Salad and this Rainier Cherry Panna Cotta.
Pitting The Cherries:
Before muddling the cherries for this cocktail. I use the OXO cherry pitter (which is also an olive pitter) to pit the seeds from the cherries. This tool really makes working with cherries so much easier. Recently, I showed my husband this tool. He said he always wondered what that tool was. I had a good laugh and showed him. He definitely had fun with the cherry pitter after that.
While I don’t make cocktails as often as I used to. In the Summer. cocktail are just more refreshing that a beer. Sangria wines can also be refreshing but those take some time to make and get nice and cold. Simple cocktail recipes like this Rainier Cherry Cocktail will be perfect for patio weather.
Lastly, when muddling the cherries be sure to release the juices but that all seeds are removed along with the stems. We used a tad of club soda along with some vanilla simple syrup to add some sweetness this cocktail. Crushed ice is just as great in this cocktail as cubed.
Rainier Cherry Cocktail
Ingredients
- 12 rainier cherries; seeds and stems removed
- 2 oz silver rum
- 3 oz club soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla simple syrup
- ice
Instructions
- Remove stems and seeds from the rainier cherries expect for 3 cherries for garnish. Place them in a shaker and muddle.
- Add ice, vanilla, and rum to shaker. Shake well and pour into the glass.
- Top off with club soda and give it a quick stir. Add cherries for garnish.
