French Cherry Liqueur (Guignolet)

TL;DR

Guignolet is pronounced as Geenola in English, and most probably you haven't heard of it outside of France.

It's one of these typical liqueurs that the French prepare during the summer months.

You can purchase it in stores, but rural French just make it from scratch, as it is so easily prepared and tastes so much better.

Traditionally, wild sour cherries are used to make this liqueur, which are known as guigne in French.

Yet, the Guignolet is often simply prepared with sour cherries instead because they are more commonly grown in people's backyards.

The idea is that the tartness of the sour cherries is neutralized, due to the sugar content in the liqueur making process.

The cherries are left to infuse in the spirit, and the infusion is then combined with other ingredients to make the final product of the Guignolet.

Ingredients

The original, authentic recipe, is from around Anjou in France and has been around for over 400 years. My family is from further up north, therefore our version will differ, and many variations exist across France.

A few recipes call for adding cherry leaves, and others keep the stem on the fruits. You can experiment by adding clean leaves and stems to infuse the spirit.

What all Guignolet recipes have in common are the whole unpitted cherries and the cherries have to be sour cherries.

• Sour Cherries — freshly picked, unpitted and washed. Only use sour cherries, the drink will turn out sweet with regular cherries. A Guignolet is tart, fruity, and sweet.
• Clear Spirit — In France they use a clear, neutral tasting, colorless, double distilled Eau de Vie. Other similar liquors that you can use instead include German Schnapps, Hungarian Pálinka and other neutral grain spirits including Vodka. The alcohol content should be between 37% and 42%. Pick one, that isn't too flavorful because you want the cherry flavors to shine through.
• Sugar — Regular sugar
• Red Wine — Traditionally, a Cabernet grape wine is used. We prefer a lighter red wine, but you are free to use whichever red wine that you like.

How to make it?

Step 1

Pick your cherries fresh from the tree and collect them.

Step 2

Clean the cherries, discard the leaves, remove the stems and rinse them through water. Do not pit the cherries!

Weigh your cherries.

Step 3

Place fresh cherries into a large canning jar and top with the spirit.

Leave to macerate for 1 month.

Step 4

After 1 month, strain your cherries and collect the cherry infused spirit. The cherries can be eaten or used in another dish!

Step 5

Combine infused cherry spirit with sugar and wine. Mix well for the sugar to dissolve.

Bottle the Guignolet.

Serving

Technically, you can try to serve up the Guignolet right after mixing the infused cherry spirit with the wine and sugar.

We, however, prefer to let it sit for another 2 weeks so that the flavors develop.

You can choose to drink your homemade Guignolet cherry liqueur as is as an apéritif or digestive. Small quantities are served in French Liqueur glasses.

That means at a party with little food bites, as in amuse bouche, or as a way to help you digest after a heavy meal.

Cocktails and Mocktails are another great way to enjoy your Guignolet.

We add the liquid ruby red spirit to gin and tonic or other alcoholic beverages, and the addition is always a delicious outcome.

The whole unpitted cherries, which were used to infuse the spirit, can be eaten as is, or you can add them to a recipe. We make French Cherry Clafoutis and German Black Forest Cake with these alcohol infused cherries.

Storing

Once you bottle your Guignolet, you keep it in that same vessel, stored in a place away from direct sunlight.

Because it is spirit with sugar, it won't expire so soon. Yet, I recommend using it up within 6 months.