You can thank my mamanjoon for this tart and tangy Sour Cherry Infused Vodka. She made many different vodka infusions from the fruit they grew in their bagh (garden). Sour cherry was by far her favorite version, and the most popular. It’s easy, and takes 3-7 days until ready to imbibe.

Closed glass bottle filled less than halfway with cherries and the rest of the way with red liquid.

The vodka turns a beautiful ruby-red color and I love to share it with friends when they come over. It also makes a unique gift!

🍒 What Sets the Taste of This Vodka Apart

  • Slow infusion of sweet cherries: The vodka slowly breaks down and absorbs all the tart and tangy cherry flavors, resulting in a completely custom drink. Vodka has little to no flavor by itself, so it’s a perfect vehicle to carry the sour cherry taste.
  • Customize the flavor: If you add the cherry seeds along with the cherries, it imparts a pleasant slightly almondy flavor to the vodka. You can decide if you want that added almondy flavor or not – you can always steep the pits separately if you can’t decide. Whether or not you leave them, still pit the cherries before adding them to the vodka. 
  • Balanced sweetness and tanginess: This vodka has a satisfying balance of sweet and tart flavors, making it a perfect ingredient for cocktails and mocktails alike.
Cherry pits in a small spice jar with yellow tinted vodka.

Here you can see where I’ve made a smaller infusion of just the cherry seeds with the vodka when I tested to see if the flavor of the seeds infuses better when pitted or as whole cherries actually makes a difference.

🧾 Ingredients in this recipe

A bottle of vodka in a blue glass bottle next to a pile of cherries.
  • Sour cherries: Use firm, unbruised sour cherries.
  • Plain vodka: Choose a vodka brand you know you like to drink as it is.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

👩‍🍳How to Make Sour Cherry Vodka

Pitting cherries behind a liquid measuring cup with a few cherries inside.
  • Pit the sour cherries with a cherry pitter or straw.
Washing cherries in clear liquid in a glass measuring cup with a metal spoon.
  • Wash the cherries using a small amount of vodka, then discard the vodka.
A bottle filled less than half way with cherries next to a bunch of cherries.
  • Put the cherries (and optional pits) into a sterilized bottle or container.
Bottle with cherries and clear liquid next to a bunch of cherries and topped with a metal funnel.
  • Pour in the vodka. Seal the bottle and store it in a cool, dark place for 3-7 days, remembering to shake it every couple of days to help release the cherry flavor. The cherries are delicious, too!

🍸 Ways to Use Cherry Vodka

This vodka is ready to use in your favorite cocktails and mocktails. Try out these drink suggestions and create some of your own!

  • As-is Over Ice: Enjoy this in its purest form over some crushed ice.
  • In a Spritz: Add some prosecco or champagne for a sour cherry vodka spritz.
  • Cherry Vodka Sour: Enjoy with a simple mix of fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and ice.
  • Sour Cherry Martini: Mix the sour cherry vodka with dry vermouth, cherry liqueur, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a tasty martini.

🍽️ Storage Advice

Store your vodka in a sealed container in a cool, dark place. Although it doesn’t go bad, the taste of the vodka will fade in potency as time passes, so don’t plan to hang onto it forever.

Closed glass bottle filled less than halfway with cherries and the rest of the way with red liquid.

⭐️ More Incredible Sour Cherry Recipes to Try

Find out just how versatile and delicious sour cherries can be.

I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m up to.

Closed glass bottle filled less than halfway with cherries and the rest of the way with red liquid.

Sour Cherry Infused Vodka

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You can thank my mamanjoon for this tart and tangy Sour Cherry Infused Vodka. It's easy, and only takes 3-7 days to infuse.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Resting Time3 days
Total Time3 days 5 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Persian
Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 17 shots
Calories: 108kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sour cherries whole
  • 750 mL vodka unflavored

Instructions

  • Pit the cherries. This is easiest using a cherry pitter but a straw also works. You can reserve the pits to also add to the infusion or toss them. See notes below.
  • Wash the cherries using a minimal amount of the vodka. Pour off the vodka.
  • Add the cherries (and optional pits) to the rest of the vodka directly into the container. Seal and store in a cool, dark place for 3-7 days, remembering to shake it every couple days to help release the cherry flavor. The cherries are delicious, too!

Video

Notes

The cherry seeds add an almond-like flavor to the vodka that I enjoy, but you can absolutely leave them out. I prefer to add them in separately from the pitted cherries because leaving the cherries whole doesn’t allow the flavor to infuse as strongly into the vodka. So whether or not you leave them, still pit the cherries before adding them to the vodka. You can also infuse them separately and mix them back together.
If you aren’t using the bottle the vodka came in, be sure to sterilize the bottle you are using and then give it a rinse with vodka.

Nutrition

Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.02g | Saturated Fat: 0.003g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.004g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.004g | Sodium: 0.4mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.03mg
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.

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