Amaretto Kirsch is a two-ingredient shaken cocktail of almond liqueur and cherry juice, served short and cold. It tastes like marzipan and cherry jam together: sweet, nutty and fruity, with a gentle warmth rather than a hard spirit bite. It suits anyone who likes dessert-style sippers and does not want a long shopping list.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Almond Liqueur such as amaretto
- 3 oz Cherry Juice tart cherry juice works best
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Pour in the almond liqueur and the cherry juice.
- Shake hard until the outside of the shaker is very cold.
- Strain into a glass, over fresh ice if you like.
- Serve straight away.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
What Amaretto Kirsch tastes like, and who will enjoy it
Almond liqueur is already sweet, and cherry juice adds its own fruit sugar, so this is a sweet drink with a soft, rounded finish. The nutty note stops it from tasting like plain cherry cordial, and the juice keeps the almond from turning cloying.
If you prefer dry or bitter drinks, this version will feel sugary on its own. If you enjoy amaretto sours or anything cherry and almond, such as a bakewell tart, it will probably be right up your street.
Getting the chill and balance right
Shake hard with plenty of ice, for longer than feels necessary. With only two ingredients, the dilution from the ice does the work of softening the sweetness, and the drink should come out properly cold, with a few ice crystals on top.
The juice you choose matters most. A tart cherry juice gives the drink some acidity and keeps it lively, while a sweetened cherry blend makes it heavier and closer to a liqueur. Strain into a glass over fresh ice if you want it to stay cold and mellow as you sip, or serve it straight up in a small cocktail glass for a more polished look. Do not reuse the ice from the shaker.
Swaps, lighter versions and making it for a group
A squeeze of lemon sharpens the whole drink and is the quickest fix if it tastes too sweet. A splash of soda water over ice turns it into a longer, lighter highball, and a small splash of cherry brandy or kirsch gives a drier, more grown-up cherry note. Hazelnut liqueur works if you have no almond liqueur, and gives a toastier flavour.
For an alcohol-free version, shake cherry juice with a little almond syrup and top it with soda water. To serve a group, stir the two ingredients together in the same proportions in a jug, chill it well, then shake or stir individual servings over ice so each glass gets proper dilution.
Amaretto Kirsch: your questions answered
Does Amaretto Kirsch contain kirsch?
No. This version gets all of its cherry flavour from juice, so there is no cherry spirit in it. If you want a drier, stronger cherry note, a small splash of kirsch or cherry brandy fits well, but the drink works fine without it.
How do I make Amaretto Kirsch less sweet?
Use unsweetened tart cherry juice, add a squeeze of fresh lemon, and shake it with plenty of ice. You can also serve it over ice and top it with a splash of soda water, which stretches the sweetness over a longer drink.
Which glass should I serve it in?
Because the total volume is small, a small cocktail glass or a short tumbler fits well. Use a tumbler with fresh ice if you want to sip it slowly, or a chilled cocktail glass if you plan to drink it quickly.
