Not all cherry liqueurs are created equal, and not all cherry liqueurs are Cherry Heering. Cherry Heering is a type of cherry liqueur and a Scandinavian spirit with a distinctive spiced cherry jam flavor. Fans and bartenders turn to Heering for an accessibly fruity, robust, bright, sweet, round, intense flavor delivered in a ruby red hue. Heering’s pronounced cherry taste doesn’t sacrifice complex dimensionality for one-note sweetness — but this is just one type of cherry liqueur.
The cherry liqueur umbrella category also encompasses maraschino liqueur, unsweetened German kirsch made from fermented cherry pits, and cherry fortified wines with brandy- or port-like full-bodied richness. Different cherry liqueur brands can range from sweet and dessert-like to bitter and herbal depending on the fruit and botanicals from which they’re made, and depending on their processing techniques. Beyond taste, different liqueurs also pack different boozy strengths. Heering falls on the low end at 24% ABV, while fortified cherry brandy clocks in toward the 40% ABV mark.
Still, Cherry Heering is more than just another brand. The name carries impressive prestige as a category pioneer. As Heering’s Instagram account bio boasts: “The first and most awarded cherry liqueur. Exploring the world since 1818.” Indeed, this centuries-old liqueur debuted in Copenhagen, where, according to the official Cherry Heering website, it was the first cherry liqueur in the world. Last year alone, Cherry Heering won Double Gold at the prestigious International Spirits Challenge and was named the category champion for liqueurs at the Bartenders Brand Awards.
What is cherry liqueur?
In the mixology world, cherry liqueur stands firmly at the intersection of cocktails and desserts. The spirit can be enjoyed on the rocks as an aperitif or used as an impactful cocktail ingredient. Offerings within the category can range from bittersweet and herbal, like Kirsch, to syrupy, viscous, woody, almond-forward, or even to a cloying medicinal cough syrup “cherry” taste. Any spirit made from an alcohol base (whether a neutral grain spirit, cognac, or otherwise) and infused with cherries can be categorized as a cherry liqueur. On the palate, Cherry Heering is markedly sweeter than both maraschino liqueur and cherry brandy.
Cherry liqueurs are most commonly used to make the blood & sand and Singapore sling cocktails. It can also be used as a shortcut ingredient to make flavorful chocolate covered cherry brandy old fashioneds for a crowd. Cherry liqueurs tend to fall within the 25%-40% ABV range, a wide span suited for myriad uses. These different tastes and potencies make different liqueurs better suited to manipulate the profile of different cocktails. Some cherry liqueurs run clear, while others are dark red and highly pigmented, which will also impact a craft beverage’s presentation.
We recommend serving sweeter cherry liqueurs neat alongside a slice of black forest cake as a knockout dinner party dessert. On the drier side, Cherry Grand Marnier is a French liqueur that melds Griottes cherries with cognac and orange. Or bartender-favorite Luxardo maraschino liqueur tames sour marasca cherries into a round almond tasting profile.
What is Cherry Heering?
Cherry Heering is the cherry liqueur that put the category on the map. This intrepid spirit first hit the market back in 1818. Per the lore, inventor Peter F. Heering got the recipe from a former boss’s wife; Heering had been working in a grocery store known for its cherry liqueur. The story goes that Heering saw lucrative potential in the Copenhagen harbor as a hotspot for international trade, and his liqueur quickly sailed to ports around Europe and Asia, gaining popularity and a spread-out fanbase. The friendly-yet-refined sipper was especially popular among 19th-century European nobility.
As far and wide as it has travelled, Cherry Heering has remained true to its Scandinavian roots. The brand’s proprietary liqueur is made from “real cherries and botanicals to create its rich flavor,” and today, “stays true to its original family recipe,” per the Heering website. Cherry Heering is produced in Denmark using dark-hued, wild-growing, intensely-aromatic Danish Stevens cherries, which get crushed, soaked in spices, and cask-aged for three to five years. Distillation experts theorize that Heering’s pleasant almond tones are due to the cherry stones being included in the fruit’s maceration and soaking process. Cherry Heering also includes nuts somewhere in the mix, as the Heering website declares nuts as an allergen. Whatever the specifics, fans do know that, in this family recipe, Danish Stevens cherries get mixed with spices and neutral grain spirit, yielding a ruby-hued spirit that’s as straightforward and as it is effective and timeless.
