Review: Spiked Cherries – Original and Balls of Fire

By Christopher Null | July 24, 2021 |

It’s time for more late-arriving cocktail cherries, these another rare entry into the booze-infused variety, jarred under the straightforward name of Spiked Cherries. (Technically these are “Howie’s Spiked Cherries,” but Howie’s does not appear on the label.) Both are bright, dyed-red maraschino-style cherries which come in 355ml jars. Refrigerate after opening.

Let’s give both a taste. Both state 10% abv on the jar.

Spiked Cherries Original – The alcohol isn’t readily apparent here, unlike Ole Smoky Moonshine’s scorching 100 proof rendition. The cherry flavor, unfortunately, is also rather absent. These somewhat chewy fruits don’t have much character to them, and though there’s clearly ample sugar in the mix, they don’t come across as very sweet. For novelty or party bets — how many can you eat in one sitting? — these might be fun. For cocktailing you’ll find numerous better options. B-

Spiked Cherries Balls of Fire – The inclusion of a cinnamon red hots-like spice changes the flavor profile here quite a bit, though the heat does not really approach “fire” at any point. Otherwise these cherries acquit themselves similarly, with a chewy texture and a distinct lack of cherryness. Again, the alcohol component is only vaguely present, definitely masked by the spice element. Come to think of it, eating a whole jar of these is a much better bar bet. B

each $9 per 355ml jar / howiesspiked.com