When I first arrived in Richmond, Va, in 1962 – straight from Montevideo, Uruguay, where I grew up – my first Shabbos on American shores, my parents and I attended a big kiddush in our new shul. Alongside the standard kugel, chulent, pastries and spirits, I got my first taste of a very delicious dark red liqueur with a strong, not overly sweet, black cherry flavor. It was love at first sip for me and Cherry Heering! Through the years, whether in Richmond, NY, Detroit, Eretz Yisroel, or wherever life’s path took me, there was always that familiar, delicious bottle of Cherry Heering calling my name at every kiddush, every simcha, every family get together.
Like an old friend, seeing Cherry Heering among the liqueurs adorning the table, brings back warm memories and great moments of my past. At each son’s bar mitzva Cherry Heering was there, a guest tmidi – a constant complement to our simchas, warming hearts, with its distinct familiar cherry flavor, admittedly the cordial of initiation to each of my three sons.
After the 90’s, it disappeared from Jewish liquor stores and I missed it. Now it’s back, as good as ever along with an additional coffee flavour choice! Since 1818 Cherry Heering, has been appearing all over the world and is sold in over 100 countries. In 1936 it became the main ingredient of that most celebrated of cocktails the Singapore Sling. Not all the ingredients of this cocktail are kosher today but you can still make delicious drinks with Cherry Heering and Coffee Heering. Here are some of my favorite ones:
Coffee Sourz
- 1 part Heering Coffee Liqueur
- 1 part lemon juice
- 1 part simple syrup
Fill a shaker with ice. Add ingredients, shake well and serve in a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon slice and a cherry.
Cherry Royal
- 1 part Cherry Heering Liqueur
- 4 parts champagne or sparkling wine
Pour Cherry Heering liqueur and champagne into a champagne flute and serve ice cold.
Cherry Fizz
- 2 oz Cherry Heering Liqueur
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Carbonated water
- 1 Cherry
Shake Cherry Heering and lemon juice over ice and pour into a highball glass with 2 ice cubes in it. Ad carbonated water and a cherry.
I just picked a few bottles (full size and mini size for the mishloach manot on Purim) of each Peter Heering flavor at Liquors Galore (1212 Avenue J in Brooklyn 11230) but it’s also available all over.
It can and will greatly enhance your Purim as Rukhl Schaechter and Eve Jochnovich tell us in the following video:
Do you have any memories of Cherry Heering? Why not share with us?
Meanwhile, enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!
The Kosher Scene 
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