Brandied Cherries

I think it’s safe to say I’ve fallen under the AMC Mad Men spell over the past 6 seasons. I find the 60’s agency antics, the sexual politics, the glamorous fashion, and the intricate story lines cleverly infused with historical events pure genius and incredibly fascinating. However, though I’ve been a Mad Men fan for quite some time, I’m now only beginning to understand the allure of Don Draper’s signature cocktail, The Old-Fashioned.

Rye whiskey has never been my spirit of choice, but my interest was peaked a few weeks ago when we were out for our monthly dinner club. My friend, Matt, ordered an old-fashioned, and to my surprise I liked it!  The warmth of the rye, the aroma of the orange peel and the sweetness of the muddled cherry made for a delicious combination. We got to chatting with our server and he mentioned how easy it is to make brandied cherries at home, so naturally I wanted to try to make them.

To my surprise, you really can’t go wrong with these–if you can measure ingredients, you got this! A fun addition your old-fashioned cocktail, they’ll help channel the inner mad men and women in all of us.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Pound of Fresh Cherries
• 1/2 C  Tap Water
• 1/2 C  Granulated Sugar
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 1/2 C  Brandy

Special Equipment:

• Cherry Pitter
• 1 Quart Mason Jar

Step 1. Wash, de-stem, pit cherries and place in mason jar.

Step 2. Combine water, sugar and cinnamon stick in saucepan on low heat and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.

Step 3. Remove from heat and stir in brandy.

Step 4. Pour mixture (including cinnamon stick) over cherries in jar.

Step 5. Close up the jar and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Use within 3 weeks.

Check out Ralph Lauren Magazine for creative twists on the old-fashioned cocktail. The Sparkling Chinatown, pictured below, includes prosecco, lime and citrus bitters, adding a fresh perspective to this time-honored drink. Or if you’re feeling classic, you can find the original recipe here.