Homemade Guignolet

As cherry season is winding down, this one is a great one for an excess of cherries that you might have. It comes from David Lebovitz's Drinking in French--a great book that should be in every cocktail book library, and you can preview some of his recipes for both food and spirits on his website, which I recommend. This comes together in a couple of minutes and is delicious. 1 lb. fresh cherries, pitted 1 quart (1L) fruity red wine 1/2 cup (125ml) vodka 1/2 cup (100g) sugar 1 cinnamon stick 1. Rinse the cherries and pat them dry then pit. Put them in a large jar that has a lid. 2. Pour in the red wine and vodka. Add the sugar and peppercorns, cover, and shake well to dissolve the sugar. Let stand one week, shaking the jar a few times once per day. The leaves will wilt into the wine after a day or so, so not to worry if they aren’t all marinating in the wine at first. 3. When ready, strain the liquid into a bottle using a funnel and a mesh strainer (or cheesecloth). Discard the leaves. Chill the cherry leaf wine until ready to drink.