Sour lemon juice and bitter Punt e Mes balance out the sweet cherry liqueur in this bourbon cocktail.

What to buy: Cherry Heering is a Danish cherry liqueur invented by Peter Heering in the early 1800s. It is viscous and sweet with an intense dark-cherry flavor. A little goes a long way, so use it sparingly in cocktails like a Singapore Sling.

Punt e Mes is a classic red vermouth from Piedmont, Italy. The original secret recipe from 1870 is a balance of bitter and sweet. Try it in a Negroni or a Manhattan in place of the sweet vermouth.

If you don’t have homemade maraschino cherries on hand, buy a good commercial brand like Luxardo.

This recipe was featured as part of our DIY Home Bar photo gallery.

  • Yield: 1 drink
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: Under 5 mins
  • Active: Under 5 mins

Ingredients (6)

  • Ice
  • 1 ounce bourbon
  • 1 ounce Heering Cherry Liqueur
  • 1/2 ounce Punt e Mes
  • 1/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 Maraschino Cherry, for garnish

Instructions

Fill a cocktail shaker or pint glass two-thirds of the way with ice. Add the bourbon, Heering, Punt e Mes, and lemon juice and stir with a cocktail spoon until well chilled, about 30 seconds. Place the cherry in a chilled cocktail glass and strain the drink over it.