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Pesticidal Cherries earns its odd name from the process as much as the drink: maraschino cherries soaked in vodka before going into a pink build of grenadine, tonic water and cherry cola. It is playful and a little theatrical, more party trick than refined cocktail, but underneath the novelty is a genuinely fun pink fizz. Despite the name, there is nothing sinister going on, just a homemade party drink with a memorable name and an even more memorable garnish.
The trick is splitting the vodka in two. One portion goes straight into the tonic and cola base, and the other soaks the cherries, which then pour their flavored vodka back into the mix. Grenadine turns the tonic into something closer to a pink soda, cherry cola adds a second layer of sweetness and bubbles, and the vodka provides the lift. The soaked cherries pick up real alcohol along the way, so treat them as a boozy garnish rather than a snack.
Glass: Collins glass | Strength: Light | Serves: 1 | Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus soak time)
Bartenders tip: Soak the cherries the night before if you are making these for a group. Ten minutes is the minimum, but given several hours the cherries give up their syrup to the vodka and take on enough spirit to be worth eating at the end. For a crowd, mix the tonic, cola and grenadine base ahead and keep it chilled, then add the vodka and cherries to each glass as you serve so the fizz holds. For a less sweet version, swap some of the cherry cola for plain tonic.
Ingredients
- 1 oz Vodka, divided
- 4 oz Tonic Water
- 4 oz Cherry Cola
- 3 Maraschino Cherries
- 1 1/2 tsp Grenadine
- Ice
Steps
- In a mixing glass, stir the grenadine into the tonic water, then add the cherry cola and half of the vodka.
- In a separate small glass, soak the maraschino cherries in the remaining vodka for at least 10 minutes. This can be done ahead and kept refrigerated.
- Remove the cherries and add their soaking vodka to the mixing glass. Stir gently.
- Pour into a collins glass over ice and garnish with the soaked cherries.
