This easy CHERRY SPRITZER COCKTAIL is light, sweet, and delicious for a summer drink everyone will love!
There is nothing like a cold, crisp cocktail during the dog days of summer. I love crispy cherry drinks on hot days! Seriously it’s like being a kid again! My favorites are Dirty Shirley and Cherry Limeade Sangria! Now, I get to add this Cherry Spritzer Cocktail to the list. It is just that…cold, crisp, and, oh-so refreshing!
Lately, it seems like I’m drawn to recipes using cherries. I just can’t get enough of them. I always have a big bowl of fresh cherries in the fridge just waiting to be devoured.
A few weeks ago, my girlfriends and I were spending the day by the pool so I whipped up these easy Cherry Spritzer Cocktails.
I prepared a big pitcher of this cocktail the night before and let it hang out in the wine overnight. This way the cherries have time to soak up the sweet wine. This is really the most important step of the entire cocktail. You want to make sure the cherries have time to become one with the wine. It’s really very zen.
Then, right before you serve the cocktail, add the champagne. You want to add it at the last possible minute so that you get all of those effervescent bubbles in your glass. It’s what makes the cocktail so crisp and refreshing.
I also recommend adding ice to the individual glasses rather than the pitcher. You don’t want to water down your cocktail.
This recipe is pretty versatile too. If cherries aren’t your thing. Try using peaches. Swap the Maraschino Cherries for fresh peaches and add peach nectar instead of cherry juice. Or, take the citrus route and use mandarin oranges and orange juice.
If you like your cocktails a little bit sweeter, add some simple syrup or honey to sweeten it up a bit. It’s a really flexible recipe.
This cocktail looked so fancy, too.
The ladies loved the rich, red color from the cherry juice.
It was sweet and fizzy and super refreshing. The perfect cocktail for mom-time by the pool. And, we couldn’t get enough of the wine-soaked cherries! It was the best part.
Ingredients
- 10 oz jar Maraschino cherries
- 1 cup reserved Maraschino cherry juice from jar
- 2 cups bottled cherry juice
- 750 ml bottle sweet white wine such as Riesling
- 750 ml bottle champagne or Prosecco
Instructions
- Place cherries and reserved juices in a large pitcher.
- Add wine and allow to sit in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to overnight.
- Add champagne immediately before serving.
- Serve over ice.
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