One Ingredient, Endless Summer Drinks
Opening Pour
Last week we talked about cold foam and how a little texture and flavor can completely transform a drink. This week, I want to give you one of my favorite flavors to experiment with all summer long: cherry.
Cherry is one of those ingredients that works almost everywhere — coffee, espresso, cold brew, tea, lemonade, sparkling water. Depending on how you use it, it can feel bright and refreshing, rich and dessert-like, or even a little nostalgic. And it makes one of the easiest syrups you'll ever put together.
The Cherry Syrup Recipe
For this recipe, all you need is tart cherry juice (unsweetened) and white sugar. That's it.
My favorite ratio is equal parts of each:
- 250g tart cherry juice
- 250g sugar
Store it in a 16oz mason jar and keep it refrigerated.
How to Make It
- Pour the cherry juice into a saucepan
- Heat gently until warm
- Add sugar and stir until fully dissolved
- Remove from heat, allow to cool, and store in a mason jar in the refrigerator
No steeping, no complicated ingredients, no special equipment. Just a clean, versatile syrup ready for whatever you want to build.
Cherry Cold Foam
Since we covered cold foam last week, let's put it to work.
- 60g heavy cream
- 20–25g cherry syrup
- Whisk until thick and velvety.
One of my favorite applications is putting this on top of a chocolate-forward cold brew — the result reminds me of chocolate-covered cherries or cherry pie à la mode. Another fun one is topping a hot brewed coffee with cherry cold foam. Sipping warm coffee through cold, sweet foam creates a really unique contrast of temperature, texture, and flavor. It's one of those combinations that sounds unusual until you try it.
Cherry Lemonade
Cherry also shines outside of coffee. Make your favorite lemonade and simply swap your standard simple syrup for cherry syrup. Fresh squeezed lemons, water, and cherry syrup make a bright, refreshing summer drink that tastes far more impressive than the effort required.
My Current Obsession: The Espresso Cherry Pop
This is the drink I've been making nonstop lately.
Double shot of espresso
40g cherry syrup
170g Cherry Spindrift
Add the Spindrift to a glass, then add ice. Pull a double shot directly over the cherry syrup, stir to combine, then slowly pour the espresso mixture over the ice and sparkling water — the ice creates a barrier that keeps the carbonation from aggressively foaming up. Give it a gentle stir and enjoy.
The drink reminds me of a cherry Tootsie Pop, Cherry Coke, and cherry Dr Pepper all rolled into one. Sweet, refreshing, a little nostalgic, and surprisingly sophisticated at the same time. If you don't have Cherry Spindrift, don't overthink it — Topo Chico, San Pellegrino, or any sparkling water will do the job beautifully.
Pairing Cherry with Coffee
One thing that separates a good drink from a great one is understanding what flavors already exist in your coffee. When you're working with distinctive syrups like cherry, cranberry, rosemary, or lavender, the goal isn't to overpower the coffee — it's to complement it.
Cherry tends to pair beautifully with coffees that already have notes of chocolate, cherry, stone fruit, or citrus. That's why a chocolate-forward cold brew with cherry cold foam works so well — the flavors naturally support each other. On the other hand, pairing cherry with a very earthy coffee (think tobacco, molasses, leather, or baking spice) can make the cherry feel aggressive and out of place.
As you continue experimenting with house-made syrups, start paying attention to the flavor notes on your coffee bags. The best drinks usually happen when you find flavors that already belong together and simply help them shine a little brighter.
Tips from a Barista
One of the secrets of house-made syrups is that most of them follow the exact same principle: equal parts sugar and a liquid base. Once you understand that, a whole world opens up. Unsweetened fruit juices — grapefruit, cranberry, pomegranate — can all become incredible syrups with almost no extra work. Some experiments won't be great. Some will become your next favorite drink. That's half the fun.
Quick Recipe Recap
Cherry Syrup — 250g tart cherry juice, 250g sugar. Heat juice, dissolve sugar, cool, and store.
Cherry Cold Foam — 60g heavy cream, 20–25g cherry syrup.
Espresso Cherry Pop — Double shot espresso, 40g cherry syrup, 170g Cherry Spindrift.
Closing Thought
One of my favorite things about house-made syrups is how much creativity they unlock. You start with a simple jar in the fridge, and suddenly you're building drinks that feel unique, seasonal, and completely your own.
Josh,
Founder, Brew It Better