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.
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More drinks you’ll love:
Bourbon Peach Smash
Cranberry Orange Aperol Spritz
Holiday Mule
I like the balance you described here, especially the note to use dark jarred cherries and freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of the bright red cherries or bottled juice. I saved the bourbon, lemon, and cherry sparkling water ratios into my Markdown recipe notes so this is easy to find again for holiday drinks.
This Cherry Bourbon Spritz sounds absolutely delicious! I love how you emphasized using jarred dark cherries – it really makes a difference in flavor. I recently tried a similar spritz at a friend’s gathering, and it was a hit with everyone. It reminded me of a post I read on Apostate Verity, where they discussed unique cocktail recipes for gatherings. Your tips about using fresh lemon juice and the right sparkling water are spot on! Thanks for sharing this perfect drink to kick off the weekend!
I like how balanced this sounds with the dark jarred cherries, fresh lemon juice, bourbon, and cherry sparkling water instead of making it overly sweet. I keep a small Markdown drink-notes file for recipes to try later, and the 15-second shake plus Bubly tip makes this one easy to save for a holiday batch.
The tip about using dark jarred cherries instead of the bright red ones is helpful; I can see how the extra sugar would balance the bourbon without making it too sweet. I’ve been using Video To Text to turn saved recipe clips into searchable notes, and this is the kind of holiday drink I’d file under quick spritzes.
This Cherry Bourbon Spritz sounds so refreshing. I like the idea of smashing Luxardo cherries with fresh lemon juice, shaking them with bourbon, and topping with cherry sparkling water for a drink that is balanced, not too strong, and not too sweet.
I love that this spritz leans on dark jarred cherries instead of the bright red artificial kind. Smashing them with fresh lemon juice before adding bourbon sounds like it would give the drink real cherry flavor without turning syrupy. Cherry sparkling water also seems perfect for keeping it light, balanced, and not overly strong.
I love the idea of smashing dark Luxardo cherries with fresh lemon juice before shaking in the bourbon. Topping it with cherry Bubly sounds like such a smart way to keep the drink fizzy and cherry-forward without making it overly sweet. This seems like a much more refreshing option than a heavier old-fashioned.
This sounds so refreshing! I love the idea of smashing dark jarred cherries with fresh lemon juice before adding the bourbon, and cherry sparkling water seems like the perfect way to keep it light and balanced.
I like the idea of smashing dark jarred cherries with fresh lemon juice before adding the bourbon; it sounds like that keeps the drink bright without making it too sweet. Finishing it with cherry sparkling water also seems like a smart way to keep the spritz light and balanced.
The fresh lemon juice note is what sold me here; it sounds like it keeps the bourbon bright instead of leaning into that heavier old-fashioned vibe. Shaking the smashed Luxardo cherries over ice before topping with cherry sparkling water seems like a great way to get a clean, balanced sip.
I love how this keeps bourbon from feeling too heavy by smashing dark jarred cherries with fresh lemon juice and topping it with cherry sparkling water. The cherry Bubly tip sounds perfect for keeping it bubbly without making the drink too sweet.
This sounds absolutely divine! I am a huge fan of bourbon cocktails but sometimes an Old Fashioned is just too heavy. A spritz version with cherry and lemon is such a smart way to lighten it up. I have those Luxardo cherries in my fridge right now and cherry Bubly is my go-to sparkling water too. Do you think this would work with other fruits like raspberry or blackberry? I could see a blackberry bourbon spritz being amazing for summer parties!
This looks absolutely perfect for the holidays! I love how simple it is to put together but still feels special enough for guests. The cherry and bourbon combo is such a classic pairing. I recently shared a fun banana bread donut recipe on my site that follows a similar easy-going approach to holiday treats. Definitely saving this one to try for our New Year celebration!
Cherry bourbon spritz cookies sound like the perfect combination! The bourbon adds such a sophisticated depth to the cherry flavor. I work with AI photo tools professionally and I can imagine how stunning these would look in a styled food photography shoot with that glossy cherry glaze catching the light. Your tips about chilling the dough are really helpful too. Definitely pinning this one!
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Thanks for refreshing and delicious recipie
@doodle jump Love it. This will be ideal for us as a post-dinner drink.
This is inspiring. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
This drink recipe is great to drink in the summer.
This is delicious! The flavors are perfectly balanced.
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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.