Chokecherry liqueur is a little taste of the wild prairies, bottled and corked for your personal enjoyment. The process is surprisingly easy, but a little patience goes a long way when it comes to getting that perfect flavor.
From Sour Berries to Sweet Sips on The Prairies
If you suddenly come upon some chokecherries, whether from a neighbor or you picked them yourself, this is a great recipe for making DIY liqueur. Enjoy it as a digestif to settle the stomach, use it as a cocktail ingredient or bottle it up as a homemade food gift recipe.
If you have ever tried a chokecherry, you'll know exactly how it got its name….the instant you bite into this little deep-colored berry, your mouth goes dry, your cheeks get sucked in and you're wondering what just happened.
I was born and raised on a property with chokecherry trees, so once in a while I would chew on a chokecherry to relive that awful (fun) sensation.
My mom always made chokecherry syrup and it was a favorite of mine. To this day I have a hidden stash of it, just in case I get a craving for Grandma's pancakes.
Fast forward to modern day living in the city, I now visit my cousin's beautiful property every end-of-summer and we pick chokecherries together.
She provides the berries and I turn them into liqueur! We pick them together, with a little help from her husband, and then I get to work, using my strawberry liqueur recipe as a starting point. Strawberry is another beautiful flavor, and a more familiar one, but there's something special about a fruit that's been commercially untouched. Enjoy!
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Ingredients
- chokecherries - Chokecherries are small, dark purple to nearly black berries that grow wild in the prairies. They have a strong, astringent taste when raw, but they impart delicious flavor into jellies, syrups, wines and liqueurs.
- spirit of choice - You can choose either whiskey, white rum, vodka or gin. I like switching it up. My cousin and I have agreed that we enjoy the whiskey liqueur the most because it tones down the sweetness but it does have a more pronounced alcohol flavor.
*See recipe card for ingredient amounts.
How to Make Chokecherry Liqueur
Your first step, technically, is to pick the chokecherries. You probably won't find them in the grocery store anytime soon. Here we are, Michelle and I, at her property full of chokecherry trees. If you acquire the berries through friends or markets, you can skip the picking and continue on.
Step 1. Clean. Rinse the berries in a colander with cool water, until clean. Make sure to remove stems and leaves.
Step 2. Fill jars. Place the chokecherries and sugar in a large, clean, (1 quart) sealable glass jar.
Step 3. Add spirit. Fill the jar with the spirit of choice. Seal and shake to combine.
Step 4. Let sit. Let the mixture sit for 4 to 6 weeks in a cool, dark place. Shake it a few times throughout the first day to help dissolve the sugar and then once every 2 days after that.
Step 5. Strain. Strain the mixture through two layers of cheesecloth or a coffee filter, placed inside of a mesh strainer, to make it clear. Just let it sit there until it stops dripping. Discard the leftover fruit.
Step 6. Chill. Funnel the strained liquid into a glass bottle. Seal the bottle or jar. Enjoy the chokecherry liqueur well-chilled.
Joss' Top Tips
- When picking, I like to cusp my entire hand around the bunch and pull down to release the berries, which helps to avoid getting any leaves or twigs in the pail and it's quicker.
- If any leaves did sneak into the pail, pick them out when cleaning the berries, along with any that look smushed.
- When adding the alcohol, fill the jar and let the air bubbles rise to the top. Once the bubbling settles, top it up with more alcohol, filling it close to the top.
- Use a canning funnel when adding chokecherries and sugar to the jar.
- Wear an apron or work shirt because it's likely to get stained, especially during the straining process.
- Label the jars with the date and type of berry/alcohol.
Ways to Use it
- Sip it. Sip it neat in a chilled shot glass or small cocktail glass.
- Mix up a chokecherry cocktail. Add a splash to your favorite cocktail, lemonade (check out how to make lemonade from scratch) or even to beer, like I do in this Black Fog drink.
- Top it with bubbles. Mix it with sparkling water or club soda for a pretty, prairie-inspired festive drink. Perfect for holiday gatherings!
- Drizzle it over dessert. Add a little over ice cream, cheesecake or chocolate mousse for a fruity addition. You could even stir some into a dessert glaze.
Chokecherry Liqueur FAQs
Late July to mid-September. Some people wait for the first frost of the fall for a sweeter berry. However, sometimes the birds will get at them before you.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you'll need to sit tight for 4 to 6 weeks while your chokecherry liqueur comes to its best flavor, so plan in advance. I know, waiting is the hardest part, but the good news is it'll be ready before the holidays and it's worth the wait.
Store chokecherry liqueur in the refrigerator to retain quality and freshness. According to Liqueur Alchemy, a well-made homemade liqueur can last months. Always check for signs of spoilage such as mold, odor or color change.
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📋Recipe
Chokecherry Liqueur
Ingredients
- 2 cups chokecherries - thoroughly cleaned and rinsed with cool water
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups spirits - either whiskey, white rum, vodka or gin
Instructions
- Place the chokecherries and sugar in a large, clean, (1 quart) sealable glass jar.2 cups chokecherries, 1 cup sugar
- Fill the jar with the spirit of choice. Seal and shake to mix.2 cups spirits
- Let the mixture sit for 4 to 6 weeks in a cool, dark place for best flavor. Shake it a few times throughout the first day to help dissolve the sugar and then once every 2 days after that.
- Strain the mixture through two layers of cheesecloth or a coffee filter, placed inside of a mesh strainer, to make it clear. Just let it sit there until it stops dripping. Discard the leftover fruit. Repeat, if needed, to get all of the solids strained out.
- Funnel the strained liquid into a glass bottle. Seal the bottle or jar.
- Store in the refrigerator to retain quality and freshness. Enjoy well chilled.
Notes
- Use a canning funnel when adding chokecherries and sugar to the jar.
- When picking, I like to cusp my entire hand around the bunch and pull down to release the berries, which helps to avoid getting any leaves or twigs in the pail and it's quicker. If any leaves did sneak into the pail, pick them out when cleaning the berries, along with any that look smushed.
- Chokecherry picking times: Late July to mid-September. Some people wait for the first frost of the fall for a sweeter berry. However, sometimes the birds will get at them before you.
- Label the jar with date and type of berry/alcohol; you don't want things getting mixed up.
- Wear an apron or work shirt because it's likely to get stained, especially during the straining process.
- Store in the refrigerator to retain quality and freshness for up to a few months. Always check for signs of spoilage such as mold, odor, flavor or color change.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
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