My German friend Dannie brought me a jar of this as a gift, and I love it so much that I’ve refilled the jar without pause for months. The traditional German method of imbibing is to dose a cup of hot tea with a shot of Rumkirschen and honey on a cold Bavarian night. This is a delicious use for this cherry cordial, but I much prefer it with a kick straight up, mixed into sangria, or cut with 7-Up or sparkling water. Once the booze is gone, sauté the drunken fruit with fresh pineapple in a little butter and brown sugar. It makes an outstanding dessert, especially when paired with ice cream and/or pound cake.
Ingredients
One jar of cherries in light syrup. They’re sometimes called Morello cherries or sour cherries (though they’re anything but). Essentially, they’re just preserved, pitted cherries in sugar and water. The size of the jar tends to vary with the brand.
Two to three cups of amber or dark rum (anything but white)
Method
Pour out and put aside half the contents of the cherries and their juice. Into your half-full jar (hey, I’m an optimist) pour enough rum to fill the jar 3/4 of the way to the top. Shake well.
Move the jar to the refrigerator and let sit for at least eight hours, and up to a month. The flavors mellow and develop more fully the longer you let it sit.
