Cherry Heering home cocktail competition

The winners of our Cherry Heering home cocktail competition are announced!

Yesterday, with Arno van Eijmeren's help from Cherry Heering and joining us on Zoom from Rotterdam, we judged what I hope will be the first of many cocktail competitions exclusively for those with a Cocktail Builder account. In this case only those with cherry brandy included in their "Your Ingredients" were invited. There were nearly 100 entries and a host of very tasty cocktails, the tastiest of which are featured below.

We were looking for just three winners to each receive a Calabrese Cocktail Set but choosing a top five, let along a top three proved so challenging that we ended up with four worthy winners.

Here they are, in cocktail alphabetical order...click on the blue links to view the full recipe. A big thank you to all who entered, and our sponsor Cherry Heering.

Ang's Cherry Bakewell by Angela Pearce
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, vanilla vodka, amaretto, cream and Licor 43.
We say: Tastes just like the name suggests; a Cherry Bakewell. It's richly indulgent, sweet and a tasty dessert cocktail.

Cherry Tradewinds Negroni by Thomas French
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, Antica Formula, triple sec, Angostura bitters
We say: Surprisingly, this riff on a Tradewinds Negroni, with a whopping 1/3 oz of bitters, works well with orange and cherry notes shining through.

Heering Aide by Nick Bowman
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, bourbon whiskey, lemon juice, prosecco sparkling wine.
We say: Brings out vanilla notes in either the cherry brandy, bourbon or both. Great name, and a really tasty easy to make cocktail.

Naked & Cherry by Mark Werrell
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, mezcal, Aperol, lime juice.
We say: Bittersweet and lightly smoky, this cherry flavoured aperitivo is niche rather than mass-market, but for those of us in that niche - yum.

And, a special mention and thanks to our shortlisted entries below.

Aviation Sunset by Simon Kitchen
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, London dry gin, lemon juice.

Brooklyn Bridge by Andy Parnell-Hopkinson
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, bourbon, sweet vermouth, Licor 43.

Cerezarita by Charl Engela
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, reposado tequila, mezcal, lime juice.

CheGroni by Thomas Gaborit
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, London dry gin, Aperol, sweet vermouth.

Cherry Bakewell by Jon Roberts
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, vodka, amaretto, lemon juice, lemon bitters.

Cherry Bourbon Sour by Savy Daniel
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, bourbon, maraschino liqueur, lemon juice, sugar syrup and aquafaba

Cherry Commodore by Emmanuel McLaughlin
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, bourbon, white créme de cacao, lemon juice.

Cherry Sage Mojito by Ashley Nathan
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, rum, sage leaves, lime juice, soda.

Cherryshed by the Captain by Lasse Rino
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, dark rum, pot still Jamaican rum, lemon juice, pineapple juice, orange juice, orgeat, Angostura bitters.

Flailed Coffee Cherry by Luis Geraldo Cardoso dos Santos
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, bourbon, spiced rum, espresso coffee.

Flirt with the Devil by Andrew Robbie
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, bourbon, apricot brandy, tawny port, hot pepper sauce, maraschino cherry.

Grapefruit Slaiquiri by Nic Gareiss
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, pineapple rum, white rum, pink grapefruit juice, grenadine, Angostura bitters.

Gudfar by Ma Sa
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, rye whiskey, chocolate bitters, Amargo Chuncho bitters

Macky Black Manhattan by Joshua Brown
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, straight rye whiskey, Averna, orange bitters.

Mai Cherie by Florance Tebbutt
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, 3-5yo Caribbean blended rum, lime juice, Orgeat.

McGarry by Jason Clapham
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, cognac, fino sherry, chocolate bitters.

Mijn Cherry Amour by Mahesh Darji
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, London dry gin, lemon juice, orange juice, sugar syrup, orange bitters

Pear Heer by Shirley Alexander
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, London dry gin, pear liqueur, tarragon simple syrup, lemon juice.

Remember Venice by Paolo Minzioni
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, Cynar, bourbon, coffee bitters.

Sour Cherry by Hannah Ashe
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, London dry gin, lemon juice, triple sec, orange bitters, egg white.

Two Bites At The Cherry by Lee Clarke
With: Cherry brandy liqueur, cognac, kirsch liqueur, lemon juice, vanilla sugar syrup.