Fresh cherries, coke, and a healthy dose of rum, frozen to slushy perfection.
This is a fun cocktail with a hint of nostalgia for a hot summer day. Watch out for brain freeze!
The idea for this cocktail started from the memory of cherry limeade. Its sweet-tart flavor and loads of crushed ice call out for summer. But I wanted to use fresh cherries, and their mild sweetness and color steered me toward cherry coke.
With a new direction firmly in my head, I began making a syrup with the cherries to bring out their flavor. I mixed the syrup with coke, but it was missing some of that classic taste. I added a hint of almond extract. Almonds and cherries have a similar flavor profile and are often used together as enhancements. Nostalgia achieved, now for the booze.
How about some spiced rum? Yes, please. The vanilla and other spices in the rum work to accent the coke. Then I just had to give it a summer cool-down. I could blend it with ice, but to get a slushy texture requires a lot of ice. I did not want to water down the cocktail, so I froze the whole mixture. With the amount of rum and sugar in the drink, it will not freeze solid. So it will be a perfect slush right out of the freezer!
Cherry Rum and Coke Slushy
Ingredients
- 1 pound cherries pitted and stemmed more for garnish
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 cups coke or other cola
- 1/8 tsp almond extract
- 2 cups spiced rum or rum of choice
Instructions
- Puree the cherries and add to a small pot with the sugar. Simmer over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes. Strain the puree and cool completely. There should be 1 1/2 cups of puree.
- Mix the puree with the coke, rum, and almond extract. Freeze the mixture overnight. Stir, pour into glasses, and garnish with cherries. Serve immediately.
This sounds so good I gotta try it!