Kirsch (cherry brandy) rewards a little know-how: how to choose it, cook it, store it, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 80 recipes to cook with it.

What is kirsch (cherry brandy)?

Kirsch is a clear cherry brandy, distilled from fermented whole cherries, pits and all. The name comes from Kirschwasser, German for cherry water. The spirit hails from the cherry country straddling Germany, France, and Switzerland.

Despite the cherry-brandy label, it is bone dry and colorless, not a sweet liqueur. It carries an intense cherry-almond aroma, that almond note coming straight from the crushed pits, with no added sugar and a clean, fiery finish at around 40 percent alcohol.

That makes it a flavoring, not a sipper for most cooks. A small pour delivers a big hit of cherry, which is why a teaspoon or two goes into so many classic European cakes and fillings, and into fondue.

Cooking With Kirsch

Kirsch is the soul of Black Forest cake. In a Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cherry Cake) it soaks the chocolate sponge and flavors both the cherry filling and the cream, the spirit the whole dessert is built around.

It deepens any cherry dish. A spoonful brushed into an All-American Cherry Pie or folded into a Strawberry Meringue Cake amplifies the fruit, since kirsch tastes more of cherry than the cherries themselves.

Kirsch also flames beautifully over fruit and crepes, as in Crepes Fitzgerald, where igniting it burns off the alcohol and leaves a concentrated cherry warmth.

The Fondue Secret

Kirsch has one famous savory job: cheese fondue. A shot stirred into the melted cheese, the move in a Basic Fondue (Fondue Neuchateloise) and Cheese Fondue, American Style, is not just for flavor.

The alcohol helps keep the cheese smooth. It thins the melt and, with the cornstarch usually whisked in alongside it, stops the cheese from clumping or turning stringy as the pot sits over the flame.

A little also turns up in spiced baking, like the Swiss Basel Honey-Spice Cookies (Basel Leckerli), where it sharpens the dried-fruit and almond notes.

Because kirsch is so potent, measure with restraint. A tablespoon or two flavors a whole cake; pour with a heavy hand and the dish tastes of raw alcohol instead of cherry.

Substitutes

No swap nails kirsch exactly, since that dry cherry-almond punch is unusual. The closest is another cherry spirit such as cherry brandy or, for a sweeter result, the cherry liqueur maraschino, used a little more sparingly.

In a pinch, a different fruit eau-de-vie like framboise (raspberry) or a slug of brandy with a drop of almond extract gets you close. In a cherry dessert, a splash of the syrup from a jar of cherries plus a little brandy covers both flavor and moisture.

With no alcohol, use cherry juice or syrup with a tiny bit of almond extract. For fondue specifically, leave the kirsch out and lean on a splash of lemon juice and the cornstarch to keep the cheese smooth.

Buying and Storing

True kirsch is dry and unsweetened; check the label, because some bottles sold as cherry brandy are sweet liqueurs that behave very differently in a recipe. A small bottle lasts a long time given how little each dish needs.

Store it upright in a cool, dark cupboard, away from heat and light. It does not need refrigerating.

Like any high-proof spirit, kirsch keeps for years sealed and stays good for years once opened, with the cap on tight. The strong alcohol preserves it, so a bottle bought for one cake will still be fine the next holiday.

Quick facts

Where to find kirsch (cherry brandy): Kirsch (cherry brandy) is usually found in the liquor section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

In Chinese

基尔希（樱桃白兰地）

British (UK) term

Kirsch (cherry brandy)

en français

kirsch (eau de vie de cerise)

en español

kirsch (licor de cerezas)

Recipes using kirsch (cherry brandy)

There are 80 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 80 recipes

More kirsch (cherry brandy) recipes

• Almond Butter Disks
• Apple or Cherry Doughnuts
• Basic Fondue (Fondue Neuchateloise)
• Cherry ChocolateTrifle
• Chocolate Balls with Cherry Cordial Centers
• Chocolate Decadence
• Chocolate Mousse with Berries
• Creamy Raspberry-Glazed Cheesecake
• Fruit-Glazed Cheesecake-Part 2
• Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte.
• Strawberry Lemon Trifle
• Super Cheesy Fondue
• Super Rich Black Forest Cheesecake