Cocktails with Kirschwasser
Kirschwasser is a clear cherry brandy — an eau-de-vie — distilled from whole fermented cherries, stones and all, and bottled without sugar or wood.
ABV40–45%The occasional Swiss bottling runs higher, and EU law sets the floor for a fruit spirit at 37.5%.
Substitutes for Kirschwasser
Plum or apricot eau-de-vie
The closest match, used in the same amount. It is just as dry and strong, with the same almond note from the stones, just a different fruit.
Maraschino or sweet cherry liqueur
Take half the measure, and use less syrup if it is called for. Every 10 ml brings about the sugar of a barspoon of syrup. Watch the label: Kirsch Likör is a sweet liqueur too, not kirsch.
Description
The cherries go into the ferment crushed, stones included. The stones, not the fruit, give the glass its bitter-almond edge. Nothing goes into wood: kirsch rests in glass or steel, because oak would smother a cherry aroma this delicate.
Storage
An open bottle changes very slowly, and the freezer does it no harm. Once it is down to the last third, decant it into a smaller bottle. What flattens the fruit is the air above the spirit, not time.
