Cherries in Brandy?

Does anyone know where you can order or buy the cherries some of the better bars/restaurants use in their Manhattans? These cherries are small and deep, dark red and seem to have been soaked in Brandy or another liquor. I know they come from a French company but can't seem to find out how to get them.

thanks,

Doug

[Grubbjunkie]

Whole Foods on California Street in SF has brandied cherries right now, they are over near the cheese section. I have no idea if they are a regular item or if other Whole Foods stores carry them, but I just bought some yesterday and they are perfect for a manhattan.

[TheDewster]

Morello Cherries In Brandy - Guinettes - 3-Liter Jar Add/Select www.levillage.com enjoy

[Pei]

I second this recommendation. Delicious in a Buffalo Trace old-fashioned, too. They also have cherries in sugar syrup and the two jars look the same, so don't buy the wrong one. If you ask nicely they'll even let you taste one before you buy, and you can buy as few as you like to try them out in your cocktails.

[TheDewster]

OOOOOOhh now that's service! Wish I still had a credit card!

[pauliface]

I make my own. It's totally the best!
You need maraschino liqueur and fresh cherries. I've seen fresh cherries as recently as thanksgiving.
I made a little "Cooking with Pauli" video of how to do this.
Go to youtube.com/pauliface if you want to watch it...

pauli.

[Robert Lauriston]

I've macerated sour cherries in various alcohols. They tend to make the alcohol taste better but the cherries themselves end up flabby and relatively tasteless, nothing like the dense, candy-like Luxardo cherries, which contain no alcohol.

[pauliface]

Who are you calling flabby and tasteless?

Oh. The cherries.

Never mind.

[twocents]

http://www.oregongourmet.com/french-p...

[Lindarita]

After searching in vain for Griottines and not finding any outside of France, and absolutely hating the unnaturally red and sickening sweet common Marischinos, I started making my own: soak about a dozen frozen pitted cherries in Luxardo Marischino Liqueur for 3 days. They're amazing! The cherries start to break down after a couple of weeks, so it's best to only make what you'll consume during that time. I've re-used the soaking liquid with excellent results. I use frozen sweet cherries from Trader Joes -- Montmorency's would be cool, too.

[Robert Lauriston]

I think Griottines were one of the four brands I saw at Ledger's.

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Ledger's Liquors
1399 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702

[mrs bacon]

Locally, Cask in SF has the Luxardo cherries. I've also seen them on Amazon (the regular jars, and an enormous tin!).

[wolfe]

Wow! You were not kidding.
http://www.amazon.com/Luxardo-Gourmet...

[Robert Lauriston]

I noticed yesterday that Ledger's had four kinds of fancy cocktail cherries, including Luxardo.

[Robert Lauriston]

The cherries I've seen sophisticated bars using are Luxardo marasca cherries preserved in cherry syrup--that is, the original maraschino cherries:

http://www.cortibros.biz/WEBSITE/Newsletters/Newsletters/2007/March2007/Mar2007P3.asp#luxardo

You can order them from K&L and pick up at the SF or Redwood City store to avoid shipping charges.

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku...

I got some from Corti Bros. in Sacramento. Reportedly they stock them at Cask. Other likely places to call include Beltramo's, Dean & Deluca, and Weimax.

[Robert Lauriston]

Previous thread on Luxardo cherries with some sightings:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/616644

[Robert Lauriston]

"Griottines" is a registered trademark of Grandes Distilleries Peureux. I doubt anyone else is selling brandied cherries under that name.

Olson's Cherries in Sunnyvale sells Griottines Brandied Cherries from France. Here's a link:

Link: http://www.cjolsoncherries.com/more.html