Cherry Lime Jarritos Recipe

Make cherry syrup

Combine the pitted cherries, granulated sugar, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally so the sugar dissolves and the cherries begin to break down, about 6–8 minutes.

Once cherries are soft and the liquid is slightly thickened, use a fork or potato masher to crush the cherries against the side of the pan to release more juice and incorporate the fruit, about 1–2 minutes more.

Add the lime zest, stir, and simmer for another 30 seconds to a minute to infuse the zest into the syrup.

Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. For a smooth syrup, carefully strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids to extract liquid. Reserve the strained syrup and discard solids (or save a spoonful of chopped cherries for garnish).

Chill the syrup in the refrigerator if not using immediately. The syrup yield should be roughly 1 to 1 1/4 cups.

Prepare glasses

If using a salted or spiced rim, pour the coarse salt or Tajín onto a small plate. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of each glass, then dip the rims into the salt or Tajín to coat. Fill each glass with about 1 cup of ice.

Add 2 tablespoons of the chilled (or room-temperature) cherry syrup into each prepared glass.

Pour 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice into each glass on top of the syrup.

Carefully pour 1 cup of Jarritos into each glass over the back of a spoon or directly, to preserve some effervescence. Stir gently once with a bar spoon to combine syrup, lime juice, and soda without flattening it.

Garnish each glass with a maraschino cherry (or a spoonful of reserved chopped cherries) and a lime wheel or wedge on the rim.

Serve immediately while fizzy. Leftover cherry syrup keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.