Cherry Lane

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 11/23/21
Cherry Lane Cocktail
Victoria Pearson / Photolibrary / Getty Images
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

The cherry lane is a signature cocktail for Grey Goose Cherry Noir Vodka. It is one of the finer cherry-infused vodkas as it doesn't have that medicinal cough syrup taste that is so common with this particular flavor.

The cocktail enhances that heavenly cherry perfectly, adding the lovely blend of herbs found only in Benedictine. The sweet and sour touches bring it all together, creating an extraordinary vodka martini. It's perfect for dinner and spring celebrations when you can get fresh cherries to use as a garnish.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces cherry vodka

  • 3/4 ounce Bénédictine Liqueur

  • 1 1/2 ounces lemon juice

  • 3/4 ounce simple syrup

  • 1 dash bitters

  • Cherries, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a cocktail shaker, pour the cherry vodka, Bénédictine, lemon juice, simple syrup, and bitters.

  3. Shake vigorously.

  4. Strain into a cocktail glass.

  5. Garnish with cherries. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • Grey Goose doesn't define the flavor of bitters in the recipe. By default, you might choose aromatic bitters such as that from Angostura. However, this is a great opportunity to experiment with various options. Try the cherry lane with orange, chocolate, peach, lavender, or even celery bitters and add a few dashes if you like.
  • Fresh lemon juice and homemade simple syrup are recommended to produce the best cocktail. One full-sized lemon should produce just enough juice for one cocktail.
  • The cherry garnish really makes a big difference with this cocktail. If you can, use fresh cherries—the season lasts from May to August. Brandied cherries and high-end or homemade maraschino cherries are the next best option.
  • Try to avoid those neon red maraschinos that are so common. They are artificially flavored and actually bleached before being dyed again. If that's your only option, it may be best to go without a garnish or switch to a lemon twist.

Recipe Variations

  • If you want to make your own cherry vodka, it's easy and a nice project when the fruit is in season. The key to reducing any potential medicinal flavor is to use a super smooth vodka. The impurities in cheap vodkas will definitely show in this infusion.
  • Rather than Benedictine, you could use another herbal liqueur like Drambuie or Yellow Chartreuse. Neither will produce an identical drink, but they will mix well in the recipe.
  • A honey liqueur like Bärenjäger or the sweet nutty taste of amaretto or Frangelico would be good Benedictine substitutes, too.

How Strong Is a Cherry Noir?

Unlike many flavored vodkas, which are bottled at 70 proof, Grey Goose Cherry Noir is a full 80-proof vodka, as is Benedictine. While those would typically make the cherry lane stronger than the average vodka martini, the heavy pour of lemon juice brings it down significantly. It will shake up to around 14 percent ABV (28 proof), making it just slightly stronger than a glass of wine.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
279 Calories
0g Fat
37g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 279
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 14mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 13%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 30g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 12mg 59%
Calcium 15mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 226mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)