Cherry Bourbon Spritz – Sweet cherries are smashed with lemon juice and bourbon and then finished with a little cherry sparkling water.
Happy Friday! It’s only fitting that I send you into the weekend with a new holiday drink. This one is made with bourbon, which, along with mezcal, has been a popular hard liquor lately. The Old-fashioned is the most common use for bourbon whiskey, but it can be a little much for me. Instead, I like using bourbon in a fun spritz.
In this Cherry Bourbon Spritz, I smash cherries with fresh lemon juice, shake with bourbon, and then pour over ice with a little cherry sparkling water. That’s it! But, man, does it taste incredible! The best part of this drink is how balanced it is – not too strong, not too sweet. Just perfection.
Here is my Cherry Bourbon Spritz!
Tips & Tricks
- Use jarred cherries. The extra sugar in jarred cherries is just enough to sweeten this drink. Make sure they are the dark cherries, not the bright red ones. The bright red ones can be too artificial-tasting.
- Sparkling water. You need to have the sparkling water to give the drink the right balance. I love using cherry Bubly for the right amount of flavor without all the sweetness.
- Lemon juice. You must use freshly squeezed lemon juice for this recipe. It’s such a key component of the drink so you can’t risk it by using jarred juice.
Cherry Bourbon Spritz
Ingredients
- 5 Luxardo cherries from a jar, stems removed
- 1.5 ounces fresh lemon juice
- 2 ounces Bourbon whiskey
- 2 ounces cherry sparkling water
- 2 cups ice
Instructions
- Add cherries and lemon juice to the cup of your drink shaker. Using a muddler, smash the cherries into small pieces. Add bourbon and 1 cup of ice. Cover and shake for 15 seconds.
- Add ¾ cup of ice to a short glass. Strain bourbon mixer over the ice in the glass until all the liquid is out of the shaker. Top with cherry sparkling water and serve.
Pin for later:
More drinks you’ll love:
Bourbon Peach Smash
Cranberry Orange Aperol Spritz
Holiday Mule
This is delicious! The flavors are perfectly balanced.
Ride the wave of style with a pink palm puff everything comes in waves ! the vibrant color and soft fabric Makes it more beautiful and makes you feel better when you wear it.
I’m a bourbon girl and loving the color of this drink for a ladies night. Thanks!
A refreshing and delicious treat for holidays. Thanks for sharing.
It has the perfect balance of sweet cherries and the rich flavor of bourbon. The sparkling fizz adds a refreshing twist. It’s a delightful drink that I can’t get enough of!
I am with you! My best friend is an “old Fashion” girl, but they are way too intense for me. This was the perfect compromise. I can drink bourbon with her and enjoy it! This recipe is delicious. Thanks
Oh yum! Cherry and bourbon is such a delicious flavor combination. This will be perfect for us as an after dinner cocktail.