- A version of this cordial must have come to America with the Pilgrims. There are countless references to it in Colonial writings, and Martha Washington recorded a recipe for it in one of her notebooks. Cherry Bounce was called “an old popular drink” in The Imperial Dictionary of The English Language, published in 1883. All of which makes it really old now, though admittedly not widely popular (despite having a scenic drive named for it).
Distillation was a great boon to farmers, allowing them to convert the fruits and grains of their labors into a more stable and compact form. Alcohol is an excellent preservative, and this is a great way to store your cherries beyond their growing season. It makes a lovely after-dinner drink, but if you have a bottle of this in your fridge you’ll want to experiment with it in mixed drinks as well.
Stone 4 pounds Bing cherries and cook them in a double boiler until they are very soft. Strain the juice and measure it. For each quart of juice add 2 cups sugar and 1/4 teaspoon each of ground mace and ground allspice. Simmer the mixture, skimming it frequently, until the scum ceases to rise. Cool the syrup and measure it. For each quart of syrup add 1 cup each of brandy and rum. Store the cordial in bottles. Serve the cherry bounce as an after-dinner liqueur.
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