Black cherry drink is a flavored beverage made with black cherry juice or black cherry flavoring. It has a dark purple-red color and a sweet, tart cherry taste. Black cherry drinks are popular sodas, juices, punches, and cocktails. They offer a refreshing way to enjoy the flavor of ripe, juicy black cherries.
What are the main ingredients in black cherry drinks?
The primary ingredient in most black cherry drinks is black cherry juice or black cherry juice concentrate. This provides the characteristic rich, deep purple color and sweet-tart cherry flavor. Commercial black cherry juice is made by pressing or pulverizing fresh, ripe black cherries, then filtering and preserving the juice.
Other common ingredients in black cherry beverages include:
- Sugar or fruit juice for sweetness
- Citric acid for tartness
- Natural and artificial flavors
- Carbonated water in sodas and sparkling juices
- Vodka, rum, or other spirits in cocktails
Some black cherry drinks are made with black cherry syrup or concentrate instead of juice. The syrup provides concentrated cherry flavoring without the pulp or seeds found in juice. Brandied cherries are also sometimes used to give drinks a boozy cherry kick.
What are some popular types of black cherry drinks?
Here are some of the most common types of beverages flavored with black cherries:
- Black cherry soda – Cherry-flavored carbonated soft drinks like Cherry Coke. May be diet/sugar-free.
- Black cherry juice – 100% juice or juice blends made with black cherry juice.
- Black cherry punch – Chilled fruity punch with black cherry juice or syrup.
- Black cherry cocktail – Mixed drinks containing vodka, rum, or other spirits and black cherry syrup.
- Black cherry iced tea – Iced black tea sweetened with black cherry syrup.
- Black Forest smoothie – Blended yogurt and fruit smoothie with black cherry flavoring.
Brands offer many ready-to-drink black cherry beverages like juices, juice blends, and soda. However, black cherry drinks are also easy to make at home using juice, syrup, or cherry-flavored extracts.
What are the most popular black cherry soda brands?
Some of the top selling black cherry flavored sodas include:
| Brand | Product Name |
|---|---|
| Coca-Cola | Cherry Coke |
| Pepsi | Wild Cherry Pepsi |
| Dr Pepper | Cherry Dr Pepper |
| Canada Dry | Black Cherry Ginger Ale |
Other brands like A&W, Faygo, Fanta, Jones Soda, and Mug also produce popular black cherry flavored sodas. Diet versions are available for most cherry sodas, providing the sweet cherry taste without sugar or calories.
What are some leading black cherry juice brands?
Here are some top selling bottled black cherry juice brands:
| Brand | Product Name |
|---|---|
| RW Knudsen | Black Cherry Juice |
| Martinelli’s | Montmorency Cherry Juice Concentrate |
| Lakewood | Organic Black Cherry Juice |
| Minute Maid | Cherry Pomegranate Juice |
| Apple & Eve | Cherry Juice Blend |
Juice blends mixing black cherry with other fruit juices like pomegranate, apple, and berry are also popular options.
What liquor is used in black cherry cocktails?
The most common liquors used in mixed drinks featuring black cherry flavor are:
- Vodka – Blends smoothly with cherry for drinks like a Black Russian or Cherry Vodka Sour.
- Gin – Pairs with cherry in a Royal Cherry Fizz or Cherry Gin and Tonic.
- Rum – Adds tropical flair in cocktails like a Cherry Bomb or Bahama Black Cherry.
- Brandy – Brandy’s fruitiness complements cherry in a Cherry Brandy Smash.
- Whiskey – Blended whiskey works nicely in a Cherry Old Fashioned.
Cherry liqueurs like maraschino or cherry brandy are also frequently used to enhance the cherry taste in cocktails.
What are the health benefits of black cherry juice?
Drinking black cherry juice offers several potential health benefits:
- Anti-inflammatory effects – Contains anthocyanins and other antioxidants that help reduce inflammation.
- Reduced muscle soreness – Helps speed recovery after exercise by decreasing post-workout muscle damage.
- Better sleep – Contains melatonin which helps regulate sleep-wake cycles.
- Gout prevention – Lowers uric acid levels, helping prevent gout attacks.
- Heart health – Provides antioxidants that may lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
However, these benefits require drinking black cherry juice regularly, not just occasionally. Talk to your doctor to see if adding 8-12 ounces of black cherry juice to your diet could benefit your health.
What are some DIY black cherry drink recipes?
You can easily whip up homemade black cherry beverages using juice, syrup, extracts, and other ingredients:
Black Cherry Limeade
- 1 cup black cherry juice
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 2 cups water
- Lime slices for garnish
Stir juices with water and serve over ice. Garnish with lime slices.
Black Cherry Spritzer
- 1 cup black cherry juice
- 1 cup lemon-lime soda
- Ice cubes
- Fresh black cherries for garnish
Mix juice and soda. Serve over ice and garnish with fresh cherries.
Black Forest Smoothie
- 1 cup vanilla yogurt
- 1 banana
- 1/4 cup black cherry juice
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp honey
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour into a glass to serve.
Where can I buy black cherry juice and syrup?
You can find black cherry juice, concentrate, and syrup in most major supermarkets and grocery stores. Look in these sections:
- Juice aisle – Bottled and refrigerated black cherry juice, juice blends, and juice concentrate.
- Soft drink aisle – Canned and bottled cherry sodas, Italian sodas with cherry flavor.
- Cocktail mix aisle – Grenadine syrup, maraschino cherry juice, cherry brandy.
- Baking aisle – Cherry extracts, cherry syrup, dried cherries.
You can also find many black cherry juice choices at natural food stores, warehouse clubs, and online retailers. Black cherry syrups and concentrates are available where drink mixes, sodas, and cocktail supplies are sold.
What drinks pair well with black cherry flavor?
Black cherry combines tastily with several other beverage flavors:
- Citrus – Lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange
- Tropical fruit – Pineapple, coconut, banana
- Berries – Strawberry, raspberry, blueberry
- Pomegranate – Pairs nicely for a tart-sweet balance
- Vanilla – Accents cherry’s richness in shakes and smoothies
- Chocolate – A classic complementary flavor pairing
Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and star anise also enhance black cherry’s flavor. For cocktails, cherry complements white spirits like vodka, rum, gin, and brandy.
Are there any health risks or side effects from drinking black cherry beverages?
Black cherry drinks are generally safe to consume in moderation. However, there are a few potential health considerations:
- Sugar content – Beverages made with juice or syrup can be high in natural or added sugars. This is a concern for people with diabetes or weight management issues.
- Artificial sweeteners – Diet sodas with black cherry flavor contain non-nutritive sweeteners that may cause digestive issues in sensitive individuals.
- Fruit sugar (fructose) – Excess fructose from fruit juice can trigger digestive problems like bloating and diarrhea.
- Caffeine – Cherry colas and teas contain caffeine, which some people need to limit for medical reasons.
- Alcohol – Black cherry cocktails should be avoided by people avoiding or limiting alcohol intake.
In general, aiming for no more than 12 ounces (355 ml) per day of black cherry juice or soda is a moderate, safe serving. But check with your doctor about any dietary restrictions or health concerns.
Conclusion
Black cherry beverages provide a refreshing, sweet-tart fruit flavor from the juices, syrups, and extracts of ripe black cherries. Popular options include sodas, juices, cocktails, and punches using black cherry as the star ingredient. In addition to their great taste, black cherry drinks offer potential health benefits from antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds found in the cherries. Moderating intake to recommended serving sizes makes it easy to enjoy these tasty purple-red drinks safely.