Spiked Cherry Vanilla Cream Soda

When planning our family’s fourth of July this year, I decided there was nothing more American than a cream soda. It didn’t take me very long to come up with a plan: a spiked cherry vanilla cream soda. Infused vodka is the perfect way to make this dream cocktail a reality.

Infused vodka is really the most simple “recipe” you can make to take your cocktail game to the next level. Really, the sky is the limit when deciding what you want to use to infuse. All you need is a jar, some vodka and your inspiration of choice.

I love the classic combination of cherries and vanilla. To make my vodka extra cherry-y, I used equal parts cherries to vodka and threw a sliced vanilla bean in for even more delicious-ness. You could definitely add vanilla extract if you wanted, but the fresh vanilla bean gives the vodka a deeper depth of flavor. At least it does in my very humble opinion.

I’ve seen this trick to pitting cherries a thousand times, but I’ve never actually used it until I had two cups of pitted cherries staring back at me. All you do is take one of your reusable stainless steel straws and push it through at the stem. The stem and the pit fall out and the cherry is ready for eating (or soaking in vodka)!

Once you’ve combined the ingredients, put the jar in your liquor cabinet or a similarly cool, dark place. Once a day just pop over and give it a shake. After several days — depending on how big your jar is — you will have delicious vodka that will make you feel like you’ve really accomplished something. I strained the vodka into another jar for storage.

One very important word to the wise: do not eat one of the cherries. You’re going to want to, but don’t do it! Or if you’re feeling wild DO eat one of the cherries, but I warned you. Those things mean business.

Making this homemade cream soda cocktail really boosted my inner bartender confidence. It is seriously that good. See for yourself! But invite me over when you do, please.

Spiked Cherry Vanilla Cream Soda