Cherry Pop

About the Cherry Pop

Cherry Pop is a fruit forward gin sour made with Timber Creek Florida Gin, muddled pitted cherries, lemon juice, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, and simple syrup, served over pebble ice for a cocktail that drinks like a grown up cherry soda. The cherries do most of the visual and flavor work here, but the gin is what keeps the drink from tasting like straight fruit juice; Timber Creek’s gin carries enough juniper, citrus peel, and baking spice from its botanical redistillation to give the cherry and maraschino notes something structured to sit on top of. Because Timber Creek starts from a grain to glass base rather than a neutral spirit bought in bulk, the gin has a bit more depth underneath the botanicals, which matters in a drink this fruit heavy since a thinner gin would simply disappear.

To build it, muddle two pitted cherries in the bottom of a shaker, then add the gin, lemon juice, the maraschino liqueur, simple syrup, and a handful of ice, and shake with real force to break down the fruit and properly chill the mix. Strain, cherries and all, into a chilled rocks glass packed with pebble ice, and garnish with the remaining pitted cherry on a pick if you like a little presentation. The maraschino liqueur is doing more than sweetening here: it deepens the cherry character with its own almond adjacent, slightly funky stone fruit note, which is part of why this drink tastes more complex than a simple cherry syrup and gin combination would.

This is a dessert leaning cocktail, so it pairs naturally with chocolate truffles, cherry pie, or a plate of almond cookies, and it also makes a fun warm weather sipper thanks to the crushed ice format. Take it slow, since the sweetness can make it easy to drink faster than you intend, and pace yourself accordingly through the evening.

Cherry Pop is a fruit forward gin sour made with Timber Creek Florida Gin, muddled pitted cherries, lemon juice, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, and simple syrup, served over pebble ice for a cocktail that drinks like a grown up cherry soda. The cherries do most of the visual and flavor work here, but the gin is what keeps the drink from tasting like straight fruit juice; Timber Creek’s gin carries enough juniper, citrus peel, and baking spice from its botanical redistillation to give the cherry and maraschino notes something structured to sit on top of. Because Timber Creek starts from a grain to glass base rather than a neutral spirit bought in bulk, the gin has a bit more depth underneath the botanicals, which matters in a drink this fruit heavy since a thinner gin would simply disappear.

To build it, muddle two pitted cherries in the bottom of a shaker, then add the gin, lemon juice, the maraschino liqueur, simple syrup, and a handful of ice, and shake with real force to break down the fruit and properly chill the mix. Strain, cherries and all, into a chilled rocks glass packed with pebble ice, and garnish with the remaining pitted cherry on a pick if you like a little presentation. The maraschino liqueur is doing more than sweetening here: it deepens the cherry character with its own almond adjacent, slightly funky stone fruit note, which is part of why this drink tastes more complex than a simple cherry syrup and gin combination would.

This is a dessert leaning cocktail, so it pairs naturally with chocolate truffles, cherry pie, or a plate of almond cookies, and it also makes a fun warm weather sipper thanks to the crushed ice format. Take it slow, since the sweetness can make it easy to drink faster than you intend, and pace yourself accordingly through the evening.