Stewed Cherry Lemonade

The beauty of this drink is that it makes the perfect mocktail and with a splash of vodka it turns into a fabulous cocktail.  

The recipe below is for a mocktail and is simple enough that you can get some help from your little chefs.

For the grown up version, add a splash of vodka to the glass pour pouring the lemonade mixture over.

Ingredients

20 pitted cherries, with or without the stem
20 ounces of lemonade
1 cup of white granulated sugar
2 cups of water

Directions

In a large pot, add the cherries, water and sugar and cook on a mild boil until the cherries are soft and deep in color, generally around 20 minutes.  

If the cooking is taking longer than expected, continue to add a dash of water to the mix to ensure that you are stewing, not burning them.  

Once the cherries have been stewed, remove from the heat and place in a glass mixing bowl and allow to gradually cool to room temperature.  

Then mix the cherry mixture, including the sauce, into a serving pitcher with the lemonade.

Chill before serving in an ice filled glass and garnish with a cherry.