Does Professor Cocktail have any Good Uses For Stuff You Only Bought For Cooking? I have a 55-gallon drum of kirschwasser.
–Keith S., via Facebook
Looks like someone was shopping at Costco again. This is a dilemma. How much Black Forrest Cherry Cake can you eat?
Kirschwasser (or kirsch) is a clear cherry brandy or eau de vie, with a fragrant smell and a dry flavor. Most of the time it’s drunk neat — it makes a good after-dinner drink or dessert accompaniment, especially if you like your sips on the not-sweet side.
That’s assuming it’s a decent brand, and you like the taste of it. If it’s a lousy brand, I’d probably just pour it out. A lot of people get in the habit of keeping a bottle of something they bought once stashed in the cupboard, even though they don’t like it or are never going to drink it. In that case, I think you should just get rid of it.
On the other hand, if you enjoy it or just hate to throw stuff away, there are some cocktails you can make with it.
- A Farewell to Hemingway (courtesy of Professor Cocktail)
- Acacia
- Ladyfinger
- Major Tom
- Straits Sling (the predecessor to the Singapore Sling)
Or you could experiment with it as a flavoring in some other drinks, like a Daiquiri. I’ve never really played around with kirsch — the good stuff (like Clear Creek) is just too darn expensive.
But if it was made by Leroux or Arrow — down the drain it goes!
