Cherry Christmas Spritz cocktail recipe

I don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need, I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree, I just want…. a Christmas Spritz! The Cherry Christmas Spritz to be exact. Mariah, eat your heart out.

We get it. It’s much easier to crack open a few bottles of wine on Chrissy than go to all that bother shaking and mixing cocktails. But if you really want to impress those in-laws of yours come Christmas lunch, we suggest having a go at a few Cherry Christmas Spritzes.

We’d wager, either in the run-up to Christmas, Christmas Eve or even on Chrissy Day, that iconic box of fresh cherries makes a solid appearance on the kitchen bench. And friends, as much as we all love a cherry or two, there’s usually just way too many to get through before they go bad. So, instead of letting them turn into a goopy, red mess, take those pitted cherries and turn them into a lovely fresh cherry syrup for your Cherry Christmas Spritzes. Don’t worry, it is super simple. Just boil cherries, water and sugar for a minute and then let cool. When they’ve chilled down, chuck it in a blender, strain through a fine sieve and put in the fridge. Hey presto! You’ve got a beautiful cherry syrup that can go in your cocktails, be used as a marinade or drizzled over ice cream – the sky’s the limit.

In our Cherry Christmas Spritz cocktail, however, it works particularly well. Those sweet cherry flavours work wonderfully with the gin, Lambrusco (or any sparkling red you have on hand), amaretto and lime, creating a complex and rounded cocktail. Built over a tonne of ice, this little sipper is perfect on a hot summer Chrissy as a little pre-dinner aperitif to get the tastebuds going.

Want to try out our Cherry Christmas Spritz on the fam this festive season? Have a squiz at our recipe and top tips below.

The Cherry Christmas Spritz is as easy as they come. The only snags you may encounter are in making the cherry syrup. It requires very little time on high heat (one minute boiling) and needs an occasional stir. Sugar can go past bubbling into burned if you let it, so keep your eyes peeled and make sure you don’t wander off. Also, as you’re going to blend this up afterwards, be sure you’re definitely using pitted cherries. We want to avoid any blender disasters. 

The quantities we suggest in this recipe for the cherry syrup are enough to make a large batch of Spritzes, which is a very handy thing to have on hand, especially as this will keep in the fridge for at least a week. Always taste-test it first before using to make sure it is still all good. The syrup is particularly versatile – and yum. Use up any extra by drizzling it on ice cream, or top it with tonic and a squeeze of lemon and you have a brilliant non-alc refresher.   

Aside from that, be sure to make your cherry syrup the day prior so it cools down to use in your cocktails. And always chuck your glasses in the fridge before making your cocktails so they have a lovely frostiness to them (very Christmassy).