Cherry at the Center of the Universe

Cherry at the Center of the Universe
They say that the center of our galaxy tastes like raspberries and smells like rum – which is a pretty good combination, so it’s no surprise that that was the inspiration for Martin Cate’s Center of the Galaxy, which is a wonderful cocktail to make when you have Chambord and some great Demerara rums in your bar. The original drink is so straightforward that it is easy to alter it with other fruity liqueurs, and we’ve used it as a base to showcase all kinds of other liqueurs. In this variation, the Cherry at the Center of the Universe, we’re playing with Cherry Heering.

The cocktail uses two types of rum, an aged Demerara (we used Hamilton) and a white Demerara (we used El Dorado, which is aged but filtered to give it a lighter body). The two work well together because you get some dark caramel and stone fruit from the Hamilton without overwhelming the sweetness of the cherry liqueur, which gets a generous pour. These are blended with fresh lime juice, honey syrup and the wonderful Clement Canne Sirop, which is infused with cinnamon, vanilla and ginger and is a fabulous match for the lightly spiced Cherry Heering. If you don’t have the clement, use our spice-infused syrup instead to get good results.

Cherry at the Center of the Universe
1 oz aged Demerara rum
1 oz white Demerara rum
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 oz Clement Canne Sirop
1/4 oz honey syrup

 

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass or cocktail shaker, fill with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a cherry and a lime wheel.

There are 2 comments for this article
  1. Aaron at 7:21 pm

    I stumbled upon this blog an am greatly pleased. Every recipe, description, and picture are artfully done.

    I have a question about this recipe. I don’t have Cherry Heering, but I do have Luxardo Maraschino. I know that the difference between the two is that Cherry Heering is sweeter and more viscous. Do you have any recommendations on to how I should make the substitute? Should I add some sugar to the Maraschino liquor?

    • Nicole Author at 3:41 pm

      Hi Aaron,

      Thanks for the kind words. Luxardo Maraschino liqueur should not be used as a substitute for Cherry Heering. They’re wildly different, starting with the color: Cherry Heering is deep red, while Luxardo Maraschino is clear. While the Heering might be “sweeter”, the Maraschino has such an intensely perfumed flavor that it will overwhelm this cocktail. It doesn’t have that rich cherry fruit flavor that the Cherry Heering does. That said, Luxardo makes an excellent cherry liqueur called Cherry Sangue Morlacco that can be substituted for Cherry Heering in this cocktail with good results. I hope that helps!

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