Mix It Up Monday: Don’t Call Me Shirley Temple

One of our holiday traditions is making a large batch of Smoked Cherry Bounce. It is a wonderful dessert beverage that we give away for the holidays. Although we give away most of the Smoked Cherry Bounce, we always end up with a large amount of leftover whiskey-infused cherries. I decided to experiment and created cherry simple syrup using leftover cherries. The cherry simple syrup is the key ingredient in our newest cocktail, the Don’t Call Me Shirley Temple.

To create our cherry simple syrup, we used leftover cherries from our Smoked Cherry Bounce. These cherries were smoked, simmered in sugar and lemon juice, and aged for nearly 4 months. I used 2 cups of cherries, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of water, and a tablespoon of lemon juice to create the cherry simple syrup.

I tried to make a jam, but it failed miserably. It is too bad because I had really hoped that I would have cherry whiskey jam for pancakes for the inevitable springtime in the Rockies snow day we’ll likely get sometime in March.

If you don’t have boozy cherries, you have a few different options. You could make a batch of Smoked Cherry Bounce. We included the recipe here. However, it requires aging for 3 months to get the best results, so it doesn’t make sense if you want to try this cocktail soon. We liked this recipe for a quick and easy cherry simple syrup if you don’t want to invest the time into making a boozy syrup.

Whether you use fresh cherries to make a simple syrup or repurpose cherries from another recipe, the simple syrup pairs well with muddled orange and whiskey. Top off with seltzer water or club soda to taste. The Don’t Call Me Shirley Temple is a great sipping cocktail for the days that remind you spring is right around the corner.

Happy Exploring!