Tongue Tied Recipe

Prepare cherries

If using fresh cherries, rinse, pit and roughly chop to expose more surface area. If using frozen cherries, thaw slightly and chop if whole.

Cook fruit and sugar

Combine the cherries, granulated sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10–12 minutes until cherries are soft and sugar is dissolved.

Macerate and extract

Remove from heat and mash the cherries gently with a potato masher or fork to release more juices and flavor. Let the mixture steep off heat for 10 minutes to concentrate flavor.

Strain and finish

Place a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth over a bowl or measuring cup and strain the cherry mixture, pressing gently to extract syrup. Discard solids (or reserve for another use). While the liquid is still warm, whisk in the vanilla extract and lemon juice to brighten and round the flavor. Taste and adjust: if too sweet, add an extra 1/4 tsp lemon juice; if muted, add another 1/4 tsp vanilla.

Cool and store

Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a clean bottle or jar. Refrigerate and use within 10–14 days. Yields about 1 to 1 1/4 cups (8–10 oz) syrup.

Fill a highball or Collins glass with ice (about 1 cup).

Pour 1.5 oz house-made cherry-vanilla syrup over the ice.

Add 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice (about half a small lemon). Stir briefly to combine syrup and lemon juice.

Top with 4 oz chilled club soda. Stir gently once to integrate without losing too much carbonation.

Garnish with a fresh cherry skewered on a cocktail pick and a lemon wheel on the rim.

Serve with a straw. Taste notes: the drink should be bright and slightly tart from lemon, sweet and fruity from cherry syrup, with rounded vanilla aromatics and lively effervescence from the soda.