If your cherry orchard has yielded as much as mine, here's a great idea... Cherry brandy liqueur is a good and very tasty way to recycle overripe cherries.

Ingredients

• 2.5 kg cherries
• 1.5 kg sugar
• 0.5 liters of vodka or other strong alcohol
• zest of one lemon
• one cinnamon stick
• 3 carnations

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Cooking method
And even if you don’t have a garden...now the cherry season is in full swing, there is a great abundance of it in any market and supermarket.

I suggest trying a new recipe - cherry brandy liqueur, which is expensive in wine departments, but even the laziest housewife can easily prepare it.
This is a digestif, a drink that improves digestion. The digestif is served at the end of a dinner party in thin stemmed glasses. It goes well with coffee and complements the taste of fruit and ice cream.
An ideal base for soaking sponge cakes and as a separate ingredient in any sweet baked goods.


I prepare liqueurs and liqueurs in sulia - that’s what we call thick-walled vintage-style bottles in Ukraine. And my sulia are practically antique from the beginning of the twentieth century, because I inherited them from my great-grandmother, who prepared a huge amount of tinctures from her garden and rubs from medicinal herbs.
If you don’t have such a large bottle, make liqueur in any container, even a three-liter jar, but with a smaller dosage of ingredients.


Pour the cherries into the bottle. Sprinkle with sugar. We vary the amount of sugar depending on the sweetness of the cherries.
To be honest, I used the sugar in the photo for show; I poured it with cherry syrup, which remained in large quantities after cooking the jam.
Whether to leave pits in cherries or not is a heated debate between experienced moonshiners.
Decide for yourself.
Cherry pits contain hydrocyanic acid, which can cause poisoning. But it is dangerous in jams with seeds if they are stored for years.
The liqueur is infused for one and a half months, then the cherries are removed from it. Cherry brandy can be stored for a long time. It's like cognac, it only gets better with age.
The core of the seed gives the liqueur a tart, astringent flavor and a nutty aroma.
If you think that one bottle of alcohol is not enough, you can add more to your taste), but cherries in sugar will quickly give juice; after a couple of hours there will be more liquid naturally.



Add lemon zest, cinnamon, cloves. Nutmeg if you want to enhance the richness of the flavor.
Fill the cherries with alcohol.
I chose vodka in a beautiful bottle))) I don’t know about manufacturers, I only recognize it as a fertilizer for cut roses and a base for liqueurs.
But I know that vodka goes perfectly with cherries.
Rum adds sweetness to the liqueur.
Cognac gives cherries an almond flavor.
The average strength of the liqueur is 30º.
If you do not want the liqueur to be very strong, you can reduce the strength by adding a little clean water.
Try it before closing.


Cork the bottle well.
I didn’t have an ear of corn for complete authenticity, so I had to use a rubber glove


Leave the sealed bottle in a sunny place for one week.
Then transfer to a cool, dark place. My preserves are in the basement, and my great-grandmother kept her liqueurs either in the basement, or on the balcony or under the bed.
The liquor must rest for at least 40 days. After this time, take out the bottle and taste the drink.
If you like the taste, strain the liqueur through several layers of gauze, pour into dry bottles and drink with a clear conscience!
But remember - in one serving (30 ml) as many as 260 calories are hidden within reach!

Indispensable in preparing Singapore Sling

All liqueurs from Cusenier's are sold in the same original bottles as this one

Some fruit liqueurs are traditionally classified as brandy, even if they are not. There are three main fruit liqueur brandies: cherry, apricot and peach, and although they are sometimes produced under other names, consumers will not confuse them with anything else.

Strictly speaking, these are sweetened colored drinks based on grape brandy flavored with the above fruits, and not just an alcoholic distillate from these fruits. Fruits are usually infused together with their seeds, which adds a bitter aroma to the drinks, and if they are apricot or cherry seeds, then a distinct smell of almonds.

Of the three liqueurs, the apricot variety appears to have advanced the furthest geographically. There are true apricot distillates in Eastern Europe, of which Bulgaria's Barak Palinka is the most famous, but they are dry, like the fruit brandies of France. Worthy examples of sweet apricot liqueurs are Boh Apricot Brandy, as well as Cusenier and Argu, produced by Marie Brisard.

Named after the Danish distiller of the 19th century.

Sherry brandy is one of the few liqueurs that may have been invented in England; in any case, a certain Thomas Grant from Kent claims to be its creator. This liqueur was originally made from black Morel cherries, but other varieties of cherries can be used in modern drinks.

Among the most famous brands of cherry brandy liqueurs is Cherry Heering, now known as Peter Heering Cherry Liqueur. It was first made in the middle of the 19th century. the Danish distiller who gave it his name. Heering grows its own cherries for its drink, which is aged in barrels.

Other common brands include Cherry Rocher, de Kuyper, Garnier and Bols. Cherry brandy liqueurs are also produced in Germany and Switzerland.

Less often than others you can find peach brandy liqueur on the market. Its most famous varieties are supplied by Bols.

Other names

France: Apricot brandy, sometimes called Apry or Abricotine. All brandy liqueurs have the right to be called such only if they are prepared with grape distillate.

Flavors

Apricots, cherries, peaches.

How they do it

Squeezed fruit juice with seeds is mixed with pure grape brandy (much less often with grain brandy), sweetened with sugar syrup and infused until complete aromatization occurs. If the fruit juice is quite sweet, less syrup is added accordingly. Sometimes liqueurs are aged and then their color is adjusted with vegetable dyes.

How to mix

“Paradise”: Mix 1 teaspoon of gin, 0.5 teaspoon of any apricot brandy liqueur and orange juice in a shaker with ice.

How to serve

The best of these brandy liqueurs, if not very sweet, make excellent digestifs.

How to use

All brandy liqueurs improve the taste of desserts prepared with the same fruit base.

Spanish sherry brandy (sherry brandy, Brandy de Jerez) is an alcoholic drink with an original and truly unique taste, strength 36-45°. The finished product is obtained by aging the distillate from grapes in special barrels for wine, more precisely, sherry. What are the other distinctive features of this drink?

In the article:

Sherry brandy

Brandy de Jerez differs from other types of brandy in its specific features:

• strict geography of drink production;
• binding to specific raw materials;
• strict adherence to the aging scheme and technology;
• special composition of alcohols;
• characteristics of distillates.

The region for the production of sherry brandy is limited to the following zones:

• Sanlúcar de Barrameda;
• Jerez de la Frontera;
• El Puerto de Santa Maria.

The main and defining feature is aging in sherry “flavored” barrels. It is the variety of sherry that further influences the versatility of sherry brandy. Light and soft sherry brandy is left in barrels after Manzanilla or Fino. A bright, multifaceted, rich sherry brandy distilled in a Pedro Ximénez container. More often you can find brandy aged in Oloroso barrels.

Sherry brandy production

Basically, in the production of sherry brandy, a distillate obtained from Airen grape raw materials is used, produced by La Mancha. Occasionally, distillate of wines from the sherry area (Pedro Ximénez or Palomino) are taken to make Sherry Brandy.

The distillate is obtained by two distillation methods:

• Destilado – 70-94.8°. Obtained from continuous cycle columns. Inexpensive and monotonous.
• Holandas – up to 70°. Sourced from Alquitara stills fired with oak. High quality and fragrant product.

Classification of sherry brandy

Sherry brandy - brandy aged in sherry casks

Sherry-brandy is not much different from according to two related indicators:

• excerpt;
• presence of volatile substances.

Based on these indicators, three varieties of Brandy de Jerez are classified:

1. Solera:
   • exposure - more than six months;
   • volatile substances – 2 gr. per 1 liter.
2. Solera Reserva:
   • over a year old;
   • 2.5 g per 1 liter.
3. Solera Gran Reserva:
   • over two years old;
   • 3 g per 1 liter.

The nuances of aging sherry brandy

The recipe for sherry brandy depends on the conditions and nuances of aging.

Brandy de Jerez is aged mostly in the Criadera and solera system, which means using old barrels for aging the drink (“solera” in Spanish means “old barrel”). Dynamics during the aging process accelerates the maturation of Sherry-brandy and allows you to evenly mix alcohols of different ages, maintaining a stable bottling quality.

Sometimes they use French or American oak barrels (500-1000 liters) in which sherry was stored for at least 3 years.

Aging ensures that the strength of Brandy de Jerez naturally decreases to the normalized level of 36-45°. Sometimes dilution with water (distilled) is allowed, sweetness is added by adding Pedro Ximénez. It is possible to add other flavoring additives, but the highest grades of sherry brandy do not contain them.

Aging in Oloroso barrels allows you to get an optimally balanced drink. Therefore, they are the ones that are used most often.

A comparative tasting of Sherry brandies from the same row, separated in containers of different brandies, will provide great pleasure. A number of manufacturers have developed separate lines of such drinks.

Sherry brandy 501

Sherry brandy 501

Sherry brandy 501 deserved particular popularity. It was defended in American oak containers. The unique nutty aroma of the drink is complemented by a soft salty taste with notes of mahogany.

Brandy strength 501 – 36°. It can be consumed as a staple and can be used to make cocktails. For example, the popular combination of brandy and cola.

Brandy de Jerez is consumed from round or tulip-shaped glasses. Getting to know this drink will be a pleasant surprise for real gourmets.

Garden roses are grown not only for admiring flowering bushes. For rose growers who are passionate about floristry, a fundamentally important point when choosing a variety is the suitability of the flower for cutting and creating bouquets. Among cut roses, the Cherry Brandy variety is very popular. Its detailed description, as well as the features of growing cut roses, are discussed in this article.

Description of the rose variety Cherry Brandy

Despite the English name, the Cherry Brandy rose is a German variety. He was bred in the famous Tantau nursery in 2004. According to the international classification, Cherry Brandy belongs to hybrid tea roses and has the following general characteristics:

Evaluation parameter	Characteristic
Color	The inner side of the petals is honey-orange, the outer side is from pink to wine.
Number of flowers per stem	1-3
Aroma	❀❀
Flower size	8-10 cm
Height	70-90 cm
Width	50-80 cm
Growing area (USDA)	Zone VI (Lower Volga region, Voronezh, Kaliningrad regions, Rostov-on-Don)
Winter hardiness	❄
Powdery mildew resistance	★★
Black spot resistance	★★
Rain resistance	☂☂☂
Flowering period	☀☀ (re-blooming)
Boarding time	April or end of October

The interesting color of the flower attracts special attention to the Cherry Brandy rose. It has a classic goblet shape; when in bloom, the edges of the petals curl downward, creating an attractive “curl.”

Other advantages of the variety include:

• increased flower resistance to rain;
• abundant remontant flowering;
• good drought resistance;
• good resistance to fungal infections.

The disadvantage of Cherry Brandy roses is insufficient winter hardiness. In addition, the flower is prone to fading in the sun.

Tip #1. The Cherry Brandy rose should not be confused with another German variety - Cherry Brandy 85. This is an earlier variety of Tantau selection, but its flower has a different color - more smoothed. Also, the petals of Cherry Brandy 85 are distinguished by a scalloped edge.

Reviews of rose growers about the Cherry Brandy rose

The Cherry Brandy variety is quite “young”, but has already become famous among amateur rose growers (Read also article ⇒). Their comments on various forums allow us to more accurately understand what to expect from this rose:

“Cherry Brandy has been living with me for two years. It was planted last year in violation of the rules of agricultural technology, almost in clay. However, I was surprised: it bloomed within a month. Flowering continued almost all summer. The flower itself is large, dense, dense. Stays on the bush for a long time. I didn't make a cut. Fading is noticeable before flowering. The bush survived the winter well. It’s definitely not afraid of drought - in the summer it went without watering for a month, and nothing. Very beautiful foliage - healthy and shiny. This rose reacts quickly to feeding and grows well after winter.”(Elena, Poltava).

“Rose is very beautiful! The color changes from orange to pink, the flower lasts a long time and almost does not fade. It survives the winter normally, under a cover of spunbond and snow. In the spring it actively begins to grow. It blooms almost without interruption. Very pleased with the variety!”(Natalia, Moscow region).

“Cherry Brandy gets a lot of black spot, even though it sits in a good sunny area. It freezes in winter, but then recovers well from the roots. It blooms all summer, very luxuriantly, so for its beauty I forgive all its shortcomings.”(Olga, Voronezh).

“In our south, the Cherry Brandy flower fades greatly even in the fall. Moreover, the burnout is noticeable already on the third day, after which the flower lasts for two weeks. I don’t like how these faded flowers look against the background of dark green shiny foliage. I spray against fungi, so the incidence of black spot is not critical - at the end of summer and only on the lowest leaves. The habit of the bush is beautiful and compact"(Ekaterina, Krasnodar).

“Cherry Brandy is a wonderful rose. The leaves are shiny, the young shoots are bright and healthy. I have been growing this variety for five years and the bush has never gotten sick. Can bloom in bouquets of 9-12 flowers. Mine sits in partial shade, receives sun in the evening and morning, and shade at noon. It fades little by little, gradually, but I have no complaints about this - I just remove flowers that have lost their decent appearance. The aroma is not strong, but very pleasant. And what’s important is that it’s great when cut!”(Galina, Moscow).

Thus, all rose growers note the quality of the Cherry Brandy rose as the long life of the flower. When grown for cutting, this is one of the most important properties, and the tendency to burn out is not of key importance, since the flower is removed from the bush in the bud or in the half-opening stage.

Tip #2. Cut varieties of roses are not recommended for use in landscape design precisely because of their poor color fastness to sunlight. If such a rose is nevertheless planted in a flowerbed, it is better to provide it with light, sparse shade.

Proper cultivation of cut roses requires knowledge of some features of this process. Below are the tips of the candidate of agricultural sciences A.A. Zaurembekov regarding the technology of industrial cultivation of cut roses, but they are also suitable for private rose gardens:

“It is fundamentally important to carry out work to care for the flower stalks. They involve removing stepsons from the leaf axils. Removal too early, when the stepsons are less than 3 cm in length, leads to the formation of new stepsons and, accordingly, the amount of work required to care for the peduncles increases. Later removal of stepsons leads to unproductive costs for the plant. In both cases, the plants lose productivity."

Thus, it is better not to allow cut roses to branch unhindered, rationing the number of shoots. In addition, it is recommended to leave only one bud on the stem and cut off the rest:

“It is advisable to remove the buds at the “pea” stage, that is, no more than 5 mm in diameter, since the buds take a lot of plant energy and photosynthesis products, which significantly reduces the quantity and quality of marketable peduncles.”

Rules for caring for cut roses

To ensure that cut Cherry Brandy roses last in a vase for a long time, it is useful to use some general rules:

• Provide a large surface area that will absorb water. This is done by making an oblique cut and splitting the ends of the stems.
• Reduce water evaporation from leaf plates. This is achieved by clearing the lower half of the stem from leaves and thorns.
• Use a nutritious antiseptic solution instead of water. It is prepared in settled or boiled water, cooled to 20 0 C. 40 g of granulated sugar and 150 mg of boric acid are dissolved in 1 liter.
• Change the nutrient solution every three days. Replacing the solution should be accompanied by washing the vase and renewing the stem cuts.
• Spray roses with water. This is done with a spray bottle 3 times a day.

Instead of sugar and boric acid, you can add a special floral preservative “Tsvetalon” or “Bona Forte” to the water.

Current questions about Cherry Brandy rose

Question No. 1. How to increase the immunity of Cherry Brandy roses to fungal diseases?

This is achieved through timely potassium fertilizing - including potassium humate on the leaves. The drug “Epin-Extra” stimulates the immune system well. It is also important to trim diseased and dry shoots in a timely manner. In addition to its sanitary function, such pruning improves light conditions and increases the efficiency of photosynthesis.

Question No. 2. Do I need to prune my Cherry Brandy rose for the winter?

It is needed like any other hybrid tea rose. After pruning, the bush is sprayed with a copper-containing preparation, covered with dry leaves and an air-dry shelter is built on top.