Cherry explosion at the Harrison House Suites and Tucker House kitchen! We are making house made Maraschino Cherries for specialty cocktails for Coho Restaurant! No more artificially bleached and dyed cherries from a jar in our cocktails! Maria, aka the Fruit Lady, who travels from Orondo, Washington each week during the summer recommended the Hardy Giant, a sweet black cherry for this recipe. She said they are more similar to the Marasca cherries which are traditionally used. We pitted pounds of cherries to start. Then soaked the cherries in Luxardo Maraschino Liquor to cure for up to two weeks. These cherries will make the perfect finish for a Classic Manhattan for a hot summer day.
First comes the cherries, then comes the Luxardo Liqueur and then comes the wedding that is featuring this Classic Manhattan with a Northwest twist! The finished cherries looked fabulous – dark red and the Maraschino Liquor added another flavor dimension to the cocktail. They were a real hit with our guests and I suspect the cherry caused them to order another round!
Here’s our Manhattan recipe:
Classic Manhattan with a Northwest Twist:
1.5 oz of High West Distillery Bourbon (located in Park City, Utah)
.5 oz of Clear Creek Distillery Pear Brandy (located in Portland, Oregon)
.5 oz of sweet vermouth
Dash of Bitters