Cherry Lemonade Vodka Spritzer
It’s lovely when you can make cocktails with fresh fruit but don’t let that limit you either; this Cherry Lemonade Vodka Spritzer is equally delicious using Cherry Preserves.
This post for a Cherry Lemonade Vodka Spritzer is a refresher…I refreshed the photos and wanted to share it again. I first published it over 15 years ago, so it’s like new again, and perfectly seasonal.
I know Sprouts does not have a huge market like some other grocers, so I feel lucky that I can shop there. I’ll be honest though, a few years back when my favorite Albertson’s closed and the space was taken over by this place called Sprouts that I had never heard of; I was not a happy camper.
Still, I gave them a chance and it turned into love. Their produce is great and reasonably priced, their meats are what fill my freezer and their personnel, no matter the store, are warm and friendly. On my last visit I filled my cart with those but also a bottle of a favorite, their lemonade, and some organic cherry preserves; I had a plan for this Cherry Lemonade Vodka Spritzer and needed them.
Unfortunately, that first time around, it was just past cherry season but I wanted cherries; hence the jar of Sprouts Cherry Preserves. While I most often use Bonne Maman Cherry Preserves, I was interested in the Sprouts brand…my favorite is a bit pricey, would these measure up?
I thought they did…and trust me, this Cherry Lemonade Vodka Spritzer that I made did too and it’s one cocktail you can now enjoy all year round because it uses cherry jam. I love me some cherries but they are both a short lived crop and let’s be honest…a pain too. I would pay double to find them pitted already, wouldn’t you?
Friday Cocktails holds a special place in my heart too even if I’m no longer adding one cocktail every week. I figure 350 cocktails was a good enough number to give me a break but I have loved creating cocktails for friends and family for almost as many years as I have been making them food…even if I limited myself to just a chosen few recipes for a very long time. Today I’m far more inclined to create something new like this Cherry Lemonade Vodka Spritzer but some rules have always applied.
You know the KISS rule? Keep It Simple Stupid? Really the best one to remember for cocktails. I was recently at a vodka tasting and the place was filled with bartenders; many who were highly touted in their craft.
One was on his way to a national mixologist championship and I felt a true kinship when he said he didn’t bother with the current trend of homemade bitters and adding multiple fancy liqueurs to his cocktail creations.
Why should you when a couple of great ingredients can do the trick? You can make a wide range of great cocktails with no more than 5 ingredients; start thinking of jam as one of them!
Today’s Cherry Lemonade Vodka Spritzer is a great example of how a couple of simple components can make a great cocktail and one that is SO easy to make at home. Vodka, lemon, simple syrup and mint are mainstays for many drinks with the fruit adding the unique flavor component.
While fresh cherries would be sublime, and this year I actually had enough for garnish, let’s talk time. First you have to pit them. Enough said? But seriously, anytime you see a recipe for fresh fruit and you’ve got some jam on hand…try it instead. It’s why I keep a good assortment of jams in my pantry and really how versatile can you get? Use some for breakfast in the AM and again with booze for Happy Hour!
Quite honestly this Cherry Lemonade Vodka Spritzer would be good with a variety of berry type jams. Try strawberry, blackberry, or even blueberry and give it a go…and as always…Cheers!
PIN IT! ‘Cherry Lemonade Vodka Spritzer’
Cherry Lemonade Vodka Spritzer
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons cherry preserves
- 4-6 mint leaves
- 1 lemon slice
- 1 Tablespoon simple syrup
- 1.5 ounces vodka
- 4-6 ounces Sparkling Lemonade – Regular or Pink
For Garnish
- Lemon slices
- Mint leaves
- Cherries (optional)
Instructions
- Place highball glasses in the freezer to chill about 10 minutes before constructing the cocktail.
- Remove the glass from the freezer and combine the cherry preserves, mint leaves, lemon slice and simple syrup in the bottom using a muddler or the back of a spoon. Crush everything together until the mint and lemon have released their flavor.
- Fill the glass with ice and top with the vodka and sparkling lemonade and stir gently.
- Garnish with mint, lemon and a fresh cherry if available.
