How to Make a Cherry Bakewell Cocktail
This Cherry Bakewell cocktail is a dessert cocktail inspired by the flavors in a Cherry Bakewell tart – pastry topped with frangipane (an almond custard) and then a layer of jam. I must warn you that all this deliciousness is dangerous!
Read on to learn all about the cocktail ingredients and tips and tricks for making this recipe. Or grab your handy-dandy cocktail shaker, hit that Jump to Recipe button, and let’s make a Bakewell cocktail!
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Ingredients
Brandy – a distilled liquor made from grapes or other fruit used in the Brandy Alexander or my Brandy Manhattan. Best in this recipe is a cognacs like Courvoisier, a category of brandy made from specific grape varietals in a specific region in France. Like with Champagne or Prosecco, a brandy can be called Cognac only if made in this specific region.
Two liqueurs provide a sweet element for the mixed drink. Amaretto is an Italian, almond-flavored liqueur, often used in the Amaretto sour. Cherry Heering is a cherry liqueur that’s been made in Denmark since 1818.
A teaspoon of syrup from a jar of Luxardo cherries provides additional cherry flavor. If you just can’t get enough of the combination of cherry and almond, check out these Cherry Bakewell blondies or this cherry crisp with almond topping.
Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations and substitutions
- Make my initial recipe for this Cherry Bakewell tart cocktail with cherry brandy (aka kirsch or kirschwasser), That original recipe is now a variation in the recipe card.
- Drink your Bakewell cocktail over ice. If you do, go ahead and skip the sugared rim.
Recipe tips and tricks
The Cherry Bakewell recipe is a variation of a sour cocktail and follows a sidecar pattern. Both the Cherry Bakewell and the sidecar are brandy-based cocktails with added liqueur and lemon juice. The Cherry Bakewell cocktail replaces the sidecar’s orange liqueur with almond and cherry liqueurs.
Step 1: Combine the ground almonds and sugar on small plate.
Step 2: After squeezing lemon juice for the cocktail, use the remaining lemon to wet the outside of a coupe or other cocktail glass. If I’m feeling fussy and want my rim neat, I’ll use a small kitchen paintbrush to paint a thin line of lemon around the rim of the glass.
Step 3: Roll the outside of the glass in the almond sugar. Or you can always just turn the glass upside down into the sugar if you want to make it easier.
Step 4: Add all of the cocktail ingredients into a cocktail shaker with a cup of ice and shake for 20 seconds. Double strain into your rimmed cocktail glass and garnish.
If you are using the bright red maraschinos for garnish, add a teaspoon of plain simple syrup instead. Feel free to omit this syrup or use more, depending on your desired level of sweetness.
Recipe FAQs
To get ground almonds, you can blitz blanched almonds in a food processor. Or you can buy almond flour, which is itself just finely ground almonds. I use Bob’s Red Mill almond flour for this cocktail and in cookies like my almond flour peanut butter cookies, shortbread Linzer cookies, and meringues.
No, go ahead and shake to whatever song you like. But there a few things you shouldn’t do.
It’s just a sweet cherry that has been dyed and sweetened further. Feel free to garnish your cocktail with a Luxardo or any other sweet cherry that you prefer.
Related cocktail recipes
Check out other cocktail recipes from the Ugly Duckling Bakery archives for house favorites like:
Gin espresso martini
Creamy espresso martini with Baileys
Peanut butter manhattan
The “Lady Bridgerton” Empress 1908 gin cocktail with Earl Grey tea and lavender
Love cocktails and want to explore more? Read all about classic cocktails and bartender basics or join this year’s 52 weeks of cocktails challenge!
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.
Recipe
Cherry Bakewell Cocktail
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
Ingredients
Almond sugar rim
- 1 tablespoon ground almonds or almond flour
- 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
Cherry Bakewell cocktail
- 1½ ounce (45 milliliter) brandy
- ½ ounce (15 milliliter) amaretto
- ½ ounce (15 milliliter) Heering cherry liqueur
- ½ ounce (15 milliliter) lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Luxardo syrup or simple syrup
- Luxardo or maraschino cherry, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the ground almond and sugar on a small plate. Rub the edge of the lemon around the edge of the glass, and dip the glass upside down into the almond-sugar to sugar the rim of the glass.1 tablespoon ground almonds, 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
- Add the brandy, Amaretto, cherry liqueur, lemon juice, and Luxardo or simple syrup to a cocktail shaker full of ice, shake, and strain into your glass.1½ ounce (45 milliliter) brandy, ½ ounce (15 milliliter) amaretto, ½ ounce (15 milliliter) Heering cherry liqueur, ½ ounce (15 milliliter) lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Luxardo syrup or simple syrup
- Garnish with a cherry or two and enjoy!Luxardo or maraschino cherry, for garnish
This drink is AH-MAYYZING! I’ve had it replicated at 2 different bars and it is SO GOOD! Cheers y’all!
Meredith – thanks so much for letting me know you love this Cherry Bakewell cocktail. Maybe next one I can help you make at home?