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Spirited: Cherry Vodka Soda

Source of Recipe

From "Cook With Me" by Alex Guarnaschelli


Recipe Introduction

"This is great as a tart (but also sweet) vodka cocktail. Eliminate the vodka and you have a fun nonalcoholic drink with an amazing real cherry taste and stunning color. Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit, and the juice is very special. It tastes like a lemonade crashed into a cherry soda. If unavailable, substitute lemon juice."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 cups cherry juice
â—¦ 2 cups sugar
â—¦ ½ cup bottled yuzu juice or fresh lemon juice (from 3 lemons)
â—¦ Ice cubes
â—¦ 16 ounces (2 cups) soda water
â—¦ 8 ounces (1 cup) vodka


Recipe

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the cherry juice, 1 cup of water, and the sugar, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl and chill completely in the refrigerator. Then add the remaining 1 cup cherry juice and the yuzu juice, and mix to blend.

Fill four rocks glasses with ice. Put a long-handled spoon in each glass and fill with 4 ounces (½ cup) of soda water and 2 ounces (¼ cup) of vodka. Pour about 2 ounces (¼ cup) of the cherry syrup into the glasses and stir vigorously with the spoon to combine. Taste, and adjust as needed. Serve immediately.

The remaining cherry syrup can be refrigerated in a sealed plastic or glass container for up to two weeks.

Makes 4 drinks
(with extra cherry syrup)