Thirsty Thursday: Cherry-Kissed Prosecco Spritzer

Ripe summer cherries and bubbly Prosecco come together to create a refreshing cocktail with a hint of sweetness.

I’ve been obsessing over cherries in a major way this summer, popping them into my mouth like candy and spitting out the seed. Sounds sexy, doesn’t it? It’s a good thing I’m married, because I’m a huge fan of blasting cherry seeds from my mouth to see how far I can shoot them. Anyone up for a good ol’ fashioned cherry spitting challenge?

I’ve also been lovin’ up on Prosecco. There’s something about those effervescent bubbles that drive me wild. Those bubbles go straight to my head and always leave me a little lightheaded and bleary eyed, but that doesn’t prevent me from topping off my wine glass when it starts to get dangerously low.

The great thing about this cocktail is that it’s the perfect summer party drink. You can dress it up for formal events and serve it in a tall champagne flute or give it a touch of rustic flair by serving it in a cute little mason jar. I prefer stemless glasses in the summer (I’m a spiller), so I went with a stemless champagne flute. I found the glasses pictured above at Pier 1 for under a dollar.

This Cherry-Kissed Prosecco Spritzer is comprised of ripe black cherries, cherry syrup, kirsch, and bubbly Prosecco. If you’re not familiar with Kirsch, it’s a cherry brandy made by distilling morello cherries. Kirsch is short for Kirschwasser. It means “cherry water” in German.

I muddled 3 pitted black cherries with 2 teaspoons of cherry syrup and 1 ounce of Kirsch. Strain the mixture into your glass of choice and top with 4 ounces of your favorite Prosecco. Add ice and garnish with a few halved cherries and a sprig of mint.

This very boozy cocktail is slightly sweet, tart, and very refreshing. I hope you like it as much as I do, but, beware, it is highly boozy.

Side note: Extra cherry syrup is always good thing. It works well in a plethora of various cocktails. Go fourth and get your booze on!

Print Recipe

Black Cherry Spritzer

Yield: 1 serving

Total Time: 13 minutes

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Spritzer:

• 3 black cherries, pitted
• 1 ounce Kirschwasser (cherry brandy)
• 1-2 teaspoons cherry syrup (recipe below)
• 4 ounces Prosecco
• cherry for garnish
• sprig of mint for garnish

Cherry Syrup:

• 1 cup (7-ounces) pitted cherries
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup sugar

Directions:

Spritzer:

1. Muddle pitted cherries, Kirsch, and cherry syrup in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Strain the mixture into a champagne flute or small mason jar.
2. Top with Prosecco and add a few cubes of ice. Garnish with a cherry and sprig of mint, if desired.

Cherry Syrup:

1. Add cherries, water, and sugar to a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Once the mixture comes to a boil, break up the cherries using a potato masher (my preferred method) or fork.
2. Continue to boil for 5 minutes. Strain, pressing the pulp to release as much juice as possible. Transfer to an airtight container and place in the refrigerator. The syrup will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

• Extra cherry syrup is a good thing! Keep in the refrigerator for future cocktails.
• If you’re unable to find Kirsch at your local liquor store, you can substitute maraschino liquor or a quality cherry brandy.

All images and text ©One Sweet Mess.

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