Sour Cherry Liqueur - Ginginha Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Make Ahead

by: Maria Teresa Jorge

December10,2009

4

11 Ratings

  • Serves 1 bottle

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Author Notes

Ginjinha is a Portuguese liqueur made by infusing sour cherries (Morello cherries) in Aguardente which is a Portuguese Brandy. Ginjinha is served in a small glass with a cherry inside and is a typical drink in Lisbon.
Making liqueurs is like a therapy – the maceration period, the recipe which each family has a tradition, bottling it with the new moon, stories that are passed down from generation to generation. But the greatest pleasure is when you bottle the liqueur after a few months and serve it although some bottles are a few years old. I think it's a really nice gift for Christmas, especially with your own label on it. —Maria Teresa Jorge

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 2 cupssour cherries (Morello cherries)
  • 1 1/4 cupsAguardente (Portuguese Brandy) or Grappa
  • 1/2 cupred wine
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 cupsbrown sugar
Directions
  1. Wash the cherries and leave some of the stems for taste. If you can't find sour cherries use normal black cherries a bit unripe.
  2. In a pan over medium heat, warm the red wine and add the sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  3. In a 4 cup container with a tight fitting lid add the cherries, the cooled wine and sugar, the cinnamon stick and the cloves. Add the White alcohol (either Aguardente or Grappa) and close the jar tightly.
  4. Let infuse 1 month in a dark place, giving it a shake every 3 or 4 days.
  5. Discard the cinnamon and the cloves, bottle the liqueur, adding a few cherries to each bottle and close the bottles with a good fitting cork. Serve in small glasses either as an aperitif or at the end of the meal. In summer you can serve it chilled.
  6. Will keep several years if you don't drink it meanwhile, which would be a pitty.
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See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Maria Teresa Jorge

  • Aliwaks

  • AntoniaJames

  • Ricky Guevara Toureiro

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11 Reviews

kcscb June 27, 2023

Help...did exactly what recipe said, but cannot get the brown sugar to dissolve! Went ahead and combined all, but the sugar kerps settling to bottom of jar. Was 2 cups correct? Seems like a lot to dissolve in 1/2 cup wine. Thoughts? A month to go, but nervous.

Christine C. July 3, 2023

The sugar didn’t melt for me until I really heated the wine. I was doing a big batch so all was tripled, but it did eventually blend in, after much stirring on the stove. Hopefully if you keep shaking it up, it’ll eventually combine.

Maria T. December 4, 2011

There is no diference between these 3 drinks except that two are made in Portugal and one in Italy.
On the other hand, he similarity of these 3 drinks is that they are all between 29% and 60% by volume.

Aguardente and Bagaceira are the same thing and have several varieties. Aguardente vínica is distilled from wine, either of good quality or undrinkable wines. It is mostly used to fortify wines such as port, or aged in oak barrels to make aguardente velha (old burning water), a kind of brandy.
Aguardente bagaceira is made from the fermentation and destillion of the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems (i.e., the pomace) left over from winemaking after pressing the grapes, the same way vodka, tequila and grappa are made.

Grappa is the same type of drink, also made by fermenting and distilling the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems (i.e., the pomace) left over from winemaking after pressing the grapes. It was originally made to prevent waste by using these leftovers.

If you had looked on the internet, you would have found the answers, although I admit a bit more time consuming then correcting a missing l in a italian word.

opinionated A. May 16, 2012

I cannot agree here. Aguardente is a designation like the Middle European schnap[p]s or the English liquor. If not specified, it doesn't really specify the spirit, neither the taste.

Usually it is used regional.

And well - to put grappa and brandy in one bag, is also a huge stretch, as they are so different. Even worse: what has vodka to do with this [usually made from grain], or tequila [made from agave]?

What you really want to specify, is the taste of the base spirit. Do you want to have it neutral - then use vodka or neutral [grain] spirit [you could use Everclear], if you don't have the aguardente handy. If you want to have it a bit rough with a bite and with a fresh vegetal taste, white grappa is your choice. Smoother with vanilla and other roast aromas is any oak aged spirit like brandy.

Personally I would choose a rather neutral spirit - as you want to have the fruit stand out and pomace based spirits are usually quite a big gamble, as aromas can turn unfavorable "funky".

Anyway - it is important, to educate properly. Aguardente [as schnapps or other stuff] are not protected, and usually low in quality [and most of the time very domestic]. Grappa, Marc, Trester [all pomace based] but also Tequila and some specific brandies like Cognac and many other spirits, underlying a lot of laws, which protect the quality and the user - they have a guaranteed origin. Don't mix those up!

Ricky G. December 14, 2018

Is it ok then to call aguardente moonshine?

Maria T. December 14, 2018

Hi Ricky,
Aguardente (agua + ardente) literally means water that burns. The moon part has only to do with the time of bottling - during the new moon period.

linomioni December 4, 2011

What is the difference between Portuguese Brandy, Portuguese Aguardente and Grappa?

Aliwaks December 17, 2009

I have a similar family recipe for Visniak (sp?) from my Romanian greatgrandparents...we use sour cherries too with scotch or brandy. I've found the cherries to be an excellent addition to a Manhattan.

Maria T. December 17, 2009

Now this is what I love about sharing recipes, imagine I thought this was totally Portuguese and suddenly you also have it in Romania. Cooking is getting better by the day!

AntoniaJames December 10, 2009

Another winner. Looks so yummy. Thanks so much for posting this -- and every recipe you post!!!

Maria T. December 10, 2009

Thank you. Hope you can make it.

Sour Cherry Liqueur - Ginginha Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

How to serve ginjinha? ›

Ginjinha, also known as Ginja, is a Portuguese liqueur created by infusing ginja berries in alcohol and then adding sugar and additional ingredients, the most frequent of which are cloves and/or cinnamon sticks. Ginjinha is served as a shot with a piece of fruit at the bottom of the cup.

Does cherry liqueur need to be refrigerated? ›

Cherry liqueur will keep indefinitely. Store it in a cool dry place, like you would any spirit.

What is ginjinha liqueur? ›

Ginjinha or simply Ginja, is a Portuguese liqueur made by infusing ginja berries (sour cherry, Prunus cerasus austera, the Morello cherry) in alcohol (aguardente) and adding sugar together with other ingredients, with cloves and/or cinnamon sticks being the most common.

What is the difference between cherry brandy and cherry liqueur? ›

Cherry liqueur is sweetened and can be made with any type of spirit base. Brandy is the most common, so cherry liqueur is often called cherry brandy. Then there's kirsch or kirschwasser, which is an unsweetened eau de vie distilled from cherries. But sometimes kirsch is called cherry brandy.

What to do with ginjinha? ›

The best way to end your trip to Óbidos is with a shot of “ginja de Óbidos,” or “ginjinha”. This cherry liqueur is a famous local drink, and is often served in a chocolate cup. It originated with 17th-century monks from the region, who combined Morello cherries and brandy, and drank it as an aperitif or after dinner.

Does ginjinha go bad? ›

Round and soft flavor STORAGE: It has no expiry date. Store in a cool, dry place, promoting air circulation and away from light.

Does cherry liquor go bad? ›

Does Liquor Expire? Unopened liquor has an indefinite shelf life. Opened liquor lasts about a year or two before it goes bad, meaning it starts losing its color and flavor. Don't use a liquor for well drinks if you won't use the whole bottle within two years.

How long do liqueurs last once opened? ›

Most liqueur should be used within 6 months to a year after opening. While stable liquors mainly lose their potency and flavor after their seal is broken, liqueurs can spoil and grow bacteria over time. The more sugar in the beverage, the faster it will spoil.

How much alcohol is in cherry liqueur? ›

Cherry Liqueur - 18% - 200ML

It is a staple on every co*cktail enthusiast's drinks shelf and can be found in the armoury of every good bartender.

Do you sip ginjinha? ›

As they slid it across the reception desk, they warned, “It's not a shot!” They even sold t-shirts proclaiming this philosophy: despite the fact that it's served in what seems to be a shot glass, ginja is meant to be drunk in small sips.

What are the benefits of ginjinha? ›

According to him, ginja was beneficial in the fight against fever, diarrhoea and other mood swings, but it was above all its benefits against lung infections that made it so famous. The sales pitch is simple: to avoid getting sick, drink ginja.

Can you drink liqueur straight? ›

Secondly, liqueurs can be drunk straight, or used in other meals and drinks. As mentioned previously, they can be drunk before or after a meal, as an aperitif or a digestif, and can be consumed neat or with ice. Liqueur can be added to coffee, most commonly a cream based liqueur.

How to drink cherry brandy liqueur? ›

Add the measure of Morello Cherry Brandy Liqueur to a Champagne flute glass and top up with Champagne or sparkling wine. Add a single Morello Cherry from our Morello Cherries in Apple Eau de Vie for great visual effect and watch your party lift off as your guests eventually eat the Morello Cherry in their glass!

What is another name for cherry liqueur? ›

So I think I've seen cherry brandy, cherry eau de vie, and kirschwasser.

Should Ginja be served chilled? ›

According to the official website of Óbidos, ginja should be served “as an aperitif or a digestive after-dinner drink, at a temperature between 15º and 17º (C) or on hot days, slightly chilled,” and adds that it “may be used in co*cktails and in cooking.” Many places in Portugal have started doing just that, coming up ...

Is ginja served hot or cold? ›

The drink is typically served with a cinnamon stick and can be enjoyed as a warm or cold drink.

What to mix with ginja? ›

Ginjagria. Our recipe for Portugal's most popular co*cktail. In a pitcher add 1 l of white wine, 10 dl of soda, 2 dl Ti Ginja. Add sliced fruit: ½ red apple, ½ green apple, 1 orange.

How do you serve Lemoncello? ›

When serving limoncello, always pour it straight from the freezer, and preferably in chilled cordial or shot glasses. The colder the limoncello, the better the flavor. Like a romantic evening, limoncello should be savored slowly.

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