RECIPE: Russian Cocktail

February 11, 2015 at 7:32 am · Filed under Cocktails & Spirits, Valentine's Day, Washington's Birthday

Do a Google search for “Russian Cocktail” and the first 30 pages are for Black Russians and White Russians. We stopped looking at that point. No simple “Russian Cocktail” could be found.

But the folks at Grey Goose tell us that this Prohibition-era drink is the oldest vodka cocktail found in print. They shared the recipe below.

While the drink appeared long before flavored vodkas were available in the U.S., you can use a cherry flavored vodka for more cherry flavor. Grey Goose, Pinnacle, Skyy, Smirnoff, Svedka, Three Olives and UV, among others, make cherry vodka.

RECIPE: RUSSIAN COCKTAIL

Ingredients Per Drink

1½ parts vodka

½ part maraschino liqueur or cherry liqueur (see note)

Crushed ice

Garnish: brandied cherry (see recipe below)

The Russian Cocktail, pink for Valentine’s Day. Photo courtesy Grey Goose.

Preparation

1. COMBINE the two spirits in a cocktail shaker. Top with crushed ice and shake vigorously.

2. STRAIN into a chilled frappe glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry and serve.

NOTE ON MARASCHINO LIQUEUR VS. CHERRY LIQUEUR

We actually prefer generic cherry liqueur to the cherry-specific maraschino liqueur. Maraschino liqueur, such as Luxardo, is a clear, relatively dry liqueur made from Marasca cherries, including the crushed pits. The latter give it a subtle bitter almond flavor.

If you like the note of almond, go for the maraschino liqueur. If you like things sweeter with more cherry flavor, head for the cherry liqueur.

The Original Maraschino Cherry

The ubiquitous maraschino cherries that are a joke in some food circles were once quite elite. The cherries were originally preserved in the liqueur as a delicacy for royalty and the wealthy.

The Marasca cherry (Prunus cerasus var. marasca) is a type of sour Morello cherry that grows largely in Bosnia, Croatia, Herzegovina, northern Italy and Slovenia. With a bitter taste and a drier pulp than other cherry varieties, they are ideal to make maraschino liqueur.

The Marasca cherry tree is very fussy about where it will grow, so in the U.S., the Royal Ann variety is substituted for the Marasca to make maraschino cherries.

Homemade brandied cherries from DarlaCooks.com. Here’s the recipe.

HOMEMADE BRANDIED CHERRIES

You can buy brandied cherries (they’re pricey) or make your own:

Maraschino cherries in syrup: Drain 20% of the liquid from a jar of maraschino cherries and replace it with brandy. Place the jar in the fridge and let marinate for at least an hour.

With fresh cherries, thawed frozen cherries or canned cherries: Soak the cherries in your own [better quality] brandy or Cognac for an hour in the fridge.

Here’s a recipe from DarlaCooks.com. Note that the aesthetically-pleasing stems come only with fresh cherries; so you may want to mark your calendar for cherry season, then get out your Mason jars and preserve them.

You can also marinate the cherries in cherry liqueur or kirschwasser, a cherry eau de vie (fruit brandy).

What’s the difference between brandy and Cognac?

Cognac is grape brandy, a distillate of wine that is produced according to strict regulations in the region surrounding the town of Cognac in central France. It must be made from a specific group of white grape varieties, that are double distilled using pot stills and then aged for at least two years.

Grape brandy can be made anywhere, from any grapes (brandy is also made from fruit and pomace). It does not require double distillation or long aging.

While there are quality brandies, in general Cognac is a better product. The double distilling and aging rounds out the spirit and produces more mellow flavors.

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