condiment
Mezcal Soaked Cherries
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Prep
2 minutes (plus overnight soak)
Total
2 min
Serves
about 2 cups (480 ml)
Sweet, boozy, and faintly smoky, Luxardo cherries soaked in mezcal overnight pick up just enough smoke to turn a basic garnish into something people notice.
Ingredients
- 396g (14 oz) Luxardo cherries with juice
- 120 ml (0.5 cup) Del Maguey Vida mezcal
Instructions
- 1Combine cherries and mezcal in a jar with a tight lid.
- 2Stir gently to mix.
- 3Cover and refrigerate overnight before using.
Cook's Note
Use good mezcal here, the smokiness transfers directly into the cherries. A cheap or harsh mezcal makes them taste rough. Del Maguey Vida or anything with a strong but clean smoke profile is what you want.
Best Served With
Old fashioneds, sours, and mezcal cocktails. Also good over vanilla ice cream or on top of flan or chocolate tamales.
Why This Recipe Works
Luxardo cherries are packed in syrup, so they absorb the mezcal gradually without losing their texture. Overnight gives the alcohol time to mellow into the syrup, you get smoke and sweetness, not a raw booze hit.
Make It Yours
- Use bourbon instead of mezcal for a different kind of smokiness
- Add a cinnamon stick to the jar for warmth
- Try aged rum or brandy for different flavor profiles
- Cut the mezcal to 2 tbsp for a more subtle touch
Leftover Strategy
Keep refrigerated indefinitely, the alcohol preserves them. The flavor keeps developing, getting better after 3–4 days.
Want to impress guests with this dish? Ask Jeff →
Pairing
The natural pairing is the cocktail they're going into. Standalone, a small pour of the same mezcal alongside makes the flavor connection obvious.