Red Wine and Cherry Spritzer
Fortify red wine with cherry pie liqueur, add a little ginger ale for bubbles, and serve on the rocks for a refreshing, easy red wine and cherry spritzer. Perfect for the holidays and a great summer drink, too!
Thanksgiving? Check. Made this drink. Everyone loved it.
Christmas? This drink would be perfect. It’s festive and red!
New Year’s Eve? Another ideal occasion for this drink. It has bubbles!
Tonight? Well, I have an open bottle of wine to use.
And you know what? This is a great drink for summer, too!
A cherry spritzer starts with Pinot Noir but if you’re not wine drinker–don’t stop reading! Unless you avoid wine because of the alcohol. In that case, this recipe might not be for you.
Even if you’re not fond of the taste of red wine, I recommend giving this a chance. You’ll be surprised by the flavor and I’m guessing you’ll love it. Other red wine varieties would work, too. Or try a Cherry French 75 with prosecco or a Cherry Martini with Elderflower and Lime.
The original recipe, which I adapted from EverydayFood magazine, called for cherry flavored liqueur, which for some reason we had a hard time finding. Kroger didn’t have it, so I sent hubs to a liquor store with a post-it note naming a couple different brands. He texted me from the store saying he couldn’t find either brand, but that they had cherry pie liquor or cherry brandy. Now, mind you, I don’t think I’ve ever had brandy. So I’m standing in the kitchen, phone in hand, confused and unsure (rough life, I know), and I write:
“Cherry Pie.”
Then I delete.
I type: “Cherry Brandy.”
Then I delete.
Then I get another text: “Which one should I get?” (He’s probably at the store thinking, what in the world is taking this woman so long?)
I type, for the second time, “Cherry Pie,” and I cross my fingers that it won’t be too sweet. It’s perfect, though, and I can’t wait to make more fun drinks with cherry pie liqueur.
About Cherry and Red Wine Spritzer
This is a very easy cocktail. The directions are for one cocktail but you can easily increase it. Mix up a pitcher if you have a lot of guests.
Simply pour a few ounces of red wine into a wine glass filled with ice. Add a splash of cherry pie liqueur, and then a few ounces of ginger ale. Garnish with a couple of maraschino cherries for a festive touch. That’s it! I’m sure you’ll enjoy this refreshing drink.
And don’t wait until the holidays to serve it. This spritzer is perfect for hot summer days, too.
Cocktail time!
If you’d like more ideas for cocktails, check out these recipes:
- Frosé — frozen rosé with strawberries, blended into a slushie
- Sparkling Pomegranate Punch
- Grapefruit and Elderflower Cocktail
- Cherry Martini
- Pomegranate Mojito
- Hot White Russian
- Ginger-Cinnamon Apple Cider Mocktail (or spike it, if you want!)
- Cranberry Margarita
- Stardust Dazzler
Red Wine and Cherry Spritzer
Fortify red wine with cherry pie liqueur, add a little ginger ale for bubbles, and serve on the rocks for a refreshing, easy red wine and cherry spritzer. Perfect for the holidays and a great summer drink, too!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Pinot Noir (or another red wine of your choice)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cherry pie liqueur
- 1/3 cup ginger ale
- 1-2 maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Fill glass with ice.
- Pour in wine, cherry pie liqueur, and ginger ale. Stir gently to combine.
- Garnish with cherries.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 257Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 20mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 0gSugar: 22gProtein: 0g
RachelCooks.com sometimes provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietitian. Please consult a medical professional for any specific nutrition, diet, or allergy advice.
I’ll leave you with some wine cork wisdom:
Smart dude.
What is your favorite holiday drink?
29 Comments on “Red Wine and Cherry Spritzer”
I love this! Pinning it now!! These pictures are so beautiful Rachel! :)
I think this is going to be our Christmas evening drink!! Love this, I have to look out for that liquor! Your photos are awesome btw. Have a great week!
Oh my… I’m loving this! I can’t wait to give this beverage a try!
Yes please, I will take one!! I love cherry flavored drinks! Perfect for any holiday party.
Yum! So delicious looking. You know I would be all over this…haha :)
Bookmarking this for post-pregnancy drinks I.NEED.TO.HAVE.NOW! This drink has my name all over it!
Good choice, and congrats on the baby! :)
I will be definitely trying it this chritmas :)
I LOVE this cocktail idea!
Beautifully done. And who doesn’t need a little wine wisdom, now and then :)
Thank you!
All I can say is WOW!! I’m making this right away.
Let me know what you think of it!
I think I need this in my life. Yes. I’m pretty sure I need some cherry pie liqueur.
This sounds like such a fun drink! In Spain they drink red wine and coke, but this sounds even better.
Want..want ..want..that drink!…those cherries..the color..tempting.
Love those cherries!
YUM!! Now I have another drink for the holiday season! :) Love the comment you made with your one year old in the cart. I had both Ella and Gracie in the cart the other day getting my drinks. I did get a few looks.. ;) Especially when Ella yelled, “Mama, here is beer for daddy!”
This looks beautiful! Perfect for this time of the year, or any time of the year! Yummy!!!
This sounds so good – I bet I would love it!
One of my favorite wines…I love Robert Mondavi!
Mmmm! I am throwing a holiday party in a few weeks and this sounds incredible!
I am getting on a plane tonite and when I get to my destination I will be searching for ‘cherry pie liqueur’..b/c this screams holiday drink that I wanna slurp kinda drink !!
I so love festive drinks like this! Definitely giving this one a try! Cheers! :)
This sounds delicious! Cherry pie is a family favorite- can’t wait to share this grown-up version next time I go home for a gathering.
I will take one- no wait- two no- wait- three- no i better just make it two! LOL! Love this
ALL. OVER. THIS.
Have you seen ‘up all night?’ Your liquor store dilemma reminds me of the first episode with their cheese dilemma. It’s not 100% the same, but kinda similar, and funny, and I can sooooo relate. This looks REAL tasty!!!! I’m always up for a fun cocktail :)
Right?!