The taste of summer is featured in this cherry ginger fizz mocktail. Fresh cherries are muddled in a pitcher and offset with a homemade rich ginger syrup. Topped off with the fizz from grapefruit soda and ice this simple drink is pleasantly tart and refreshing.
How to Pit Cherries
A simple spring type pitter is can be used. Since I don’t go in for kitchen gadgets, any tool has to have more than one purpose. This tool is handy for removing the pits from cherries, olives and seeded grapes. It also creates a neat hole in fruits or vegetables that can then be used for garnishes.
If you don’t have a pitter tool, you can easily push the pit of a cherry out with the end of a straw. Just line up the top of the cherry and plunge the straw straight through to the bottom and the pit will be ejected out the bottom. This process is quick and easy to finish.
One pound of sweet cherries equals about 4 cups whole cherries, about 70-80 individual cherries, or about 2-1/2 – 3 cups pitted and halved cherries. Cherry ginger fizz mocktail uses a generous cup of pitted and halved cherries or count out about 25 cherries to remove the pit.
Homemade Ginger Rich Syrup
It is easy to make ginger rich syrup. For accuracy, use a scale and weigh both the water and sugar. Since 1 cup of sugar (measuring by volume) is closer to 7 ounces instead of the 8 ounces in a fluid cup measure.
A rich simple syrup is two parts sugar to one part water heated to just hot enough to dissolve the sugar crystals. Stir well. Slice a one-inch knob of ginger into thick slices and let the ginger steep in the ginger for at least 30 minutes, taste and if the flavor is what you want, remove the slices and discard. This ginger rich syrup will last about 6 months in the refrigerator. Or it can be easily frozen since it is much higher in sugar than regular simple syrup it won’t freeze solid and can use it for drinks right out of the freezer.
This mocktail is easy to put together with just a few ingredients. Once the cherries are pitted and the rich ginger syrup has been made. It is just a quick matter of muddling the fruit in a pitcher and adding the ginger syrup. This can easily be done in advance. Just before serving, pour in chilled 2 liters of grapefruit soda and top with ice. Garnish with extra cherries and mint leaves for color.
You can use a drink muddler or potato masher to mash the cherries. But it is even quicker to use an immersion blender to break down the fruit into small pieces. If you don’t have this useful tool, you can use a regular blender to blend the cherries and ginger syrup together.
Just before serving, add the grapefruit soda which will fizz beautifully with a deep red foam. Add the ice to the pitcher before adding the soda and enjoy this refreshing taste of summer.
Print
Rich Ginger Syrup
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 35 minutes 1x
- Category: beverage
- Method: stovetop
Description
A basic recipe for a rich simple syrup infused with ginger.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces (by weight) sugar
- 8 ounces of water
- 1” knob ginger (quarter diameter)
Instructions
- Slice the ginger into slices and set aside.
- In a small saucepan add the sugar and water and stir to combine over medium-low heat. When the sugar crystals have dissolved turn off the heat and add the ginger slices and allow them to steep for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. When the flavor is what you prefer, remove and discard the ginger slices and transfer the ginger rich syrup into a label container and store in the refrigerator for 6 months or freezer for a year.
Cherry Ginger Fizz Mocktail
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: mocktail
Description
Cherry Ginger Fizz Mocktail features the taste of summer. Cherries muddled and infused with a rich ginger syrup produce a tart and refreshing drink.
Ingredients
- 25 sweet cherries, pitted and halved, (a generous cup of fruit)
- 8 ounces ginger rich syrup (see recipe above)
- Ice
- 2 liters grapefruit soda
- Mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Muddle the cherries in the bottom of a clear pitcher, add the ginger rich syrup. The mocktail can be prepared in advance up to this point.
- Chill the grapefruit soda.
- Just before serving, add ice to the pitcher and slowly pour the grapefruit soda over the muddled cherries and serve immediately. Garnish with extra cherries and mint leaves.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12 ounces
Check out another mocktail with lime and mint.
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