Is there anything better than a Cherry Coke? Yes, there is! A Cherry Coke AND Rum. This summer cocktail is incredibly easy to make and utilizes fresh cherries for a homemade rum and cherry coke.
(This recipe for Cherry Rum and Coke was originally posted in June 2011, but was updated with new photos in 2018).
Most of my memories in life can be equated with music or food. Sometimes both. Oftentimes, music reminds me of certain foods and foods remind me of music. So, whenever I drink Cherry Coke, I think about when I was a kid dancing around the living room with my sister and dad singing the song "Cherry Coke." I kind of figured everyone knew the song (my sister and I still sing it to this day), but upon googling the lyrics, I realized it's not a very popular song. At all. Somewhere in the depths of my memory, I remembered that a group called "Bob's Diner" sang it and when I googled that, I got more results (though not many). Anyway, it goes a little something like this, "Sitting in Bob's Diner/Give me some Cherry Coke and you're mine/Cherry Coke baby/You're sweeter than wine. Cherry Coke baby..."
My point is, the entire time I was making this drink for Cocktail Friday, I was singing "Cherry Coke" to myself. And I'm pretty sure I will for the rest of my life. Though I also admit I hummed a little Rascal Flatts to myself as I carried this drink out to the deck, "I miss Mayberry/Sitting on the porch drinking ice-cold cherry Coke..." Cherry Coke is just one of those evocative drinks, I guess.
This Cherry Coke and Rum isn't a complicated drink. In fact, it's one of the simplest ever. We never have soda in our fridge but we bought some Diet Coke when Chris's mom was visiting and the idea of Cherry Coke quickly popped into my head. I went with rum because doesn't rum and Coke just make sense? Though I'm pretty sure I haven't had a rum and Coke since college. The rum definitely does help this Cherry Coke become "sweeter than wine."
CHERRY COKE AND RUM RECIPE
This recipe is super quick and easy and mainly requires pitting the cherries, turning them into a puree, and mixing them with rum.
Once you have your cherry puree and rum mixed, pour it into ice-filled glasses and then fill the rest of the way with Coke. Or Diet Coke. Or really, the cola of your choice.
And this is delicious. Not overly sweet (I used Diet Coke), but very flavorful. The flavors of summer. And childhood. Minus the rum. Really, I promise. I was a goody-two-shoes growing up and definitely didn't drink rum. But now I'm all about the rum (to be fair, I really don't think I've actually had a rum and Coke since college, but now I'm back in the game).
I'm really treasuring my Cocktail Fridays when I can have them. And I won't lie, sometimes cocktail Friday happens in the middle of the week and sometimes it's just with wine or beer or water. It gives Chris and I a time to just sit outside and chat without the distraction of the computer, television, or kitchen (what? the kitchen distracts me ALL the time).
Can I tell you how excited I am that it's finally cherry season again? I can't resist buying cherries whenever I spot them at the grocery store. And even though they always seem to be on sale, they're still ridiculously expensive. Especially when it's only at the register that you realize you're purchasing 2.5 pounds. Oops. Worse things have happened.
Happy Cocktail Friday, to everyone!! I'm really looking forward to a low-key weekend that involves a BBQ my dad is throwing (which means lots of good food and drinks) and hanging out with my mom. I wish the weather was going to be a bit more fantastic, but I won't complain. It's the weekend, after all!
I hope your weekend involves all kinds of fabulous things like rum and cherry coke!
Do you have any foods you often find yourself breaking into song around?
For other great cherry recipes, check out this Cherry Clafoutis or this Grilled Guacamole with Cherries and Habanero. I also love this Cherry Chocolate Milkshake from Lemons + Zest!
Cherry Coke and Rum
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups cherries, pitted
- 6 oz. rum
- 2 cans (24 oz.) Coke (Diet Coke if you prefer)
Instructions
- Put the pitted cherries in a blander and blend until smooth. Add rum and process until combined.
- Divide cherry/rum mixture between four ice-filled glasses, filling them each halfway. Fill each glass the rest of the way with Coke or Diet Coke.
Maris says
Takes me back to college although I don't think our rum and cokes were quite this good!
Simply Life says
oh I love this idea of using fresh cherries- I'm sure this is great!
Erica says
awww 🙂 SO cute that your wedding is a year away! Love :)You should have a -1 year wedding celebration. I don't know the song, but I like the idea of grinding the cherries up into the drink- yum! Banana pancakes always make me sing the Jack Johnson song
Elizabeth says
I completely read the title of this post as Cherry Rum and Coke Cake for some reason, probably because I always have sweets on the mind, and it wasn't until I read on and then double-checked the title that I realized that it was in fact a drink and not a cake 🙂 What I WAS going to say if it were a cake was that I used to make cherry coke cakes all the time when I was younger. And with all of your wine/liquor baked goods, I think you should totally make this drink into a cake!
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
I grew up in the Philippines and back then, we didn't have cherry (or vanilla) coke. When we moved to the US I was ecstatic to find it, I loved cherry coke! I even make jello shots with cherry flavored jello & cherry coke. Great drink, and I loved reading about your memories about it too!
Emily @ A Cambridge Story says
Cherry coke totally reminds me of being a kid. I recently bought on - thinking it was diet - and was blown away at how much sugar the real Cherry coke had. It was, of course, still amazing. Love that you made it into a cocktail!
Bee says
LOVE cherry coke! And I have a weird fascination with making childhood beverages into alcoholic ones... like I'm still trying to make a Shirley Temple with added alc. Your Cocktail Fridays sound lovely 🙂 I should try to do the same with my guy.
Vanessa says
I'm obsessed with cherry coke and this grown-up version sounds even better!!! Soo awesome your wedding is in 1 year...Can't wait to hear all about it! Yippee!
Barbara says
A cherry coke was always what I ordered at the local fountain, so I bet I'd love this!
skinnybean says
Simple, delicious and perfect for an annoying Monday? Yes to all of the above. And purdy too!
Daisy says
When I saw the title of the post, I immediately thought of Mayberry. So glad you posted the lyrics so I could sing along with. it's one of my all time fave rascal flatts songs. you and this drink give a whole new meaning to cocktail friday!!
Foodies on the Fly says
Mmmm cherry coke. Never thought to use real cherries, but this definitely has potential. With crushed ice, it would be like a slushee... mmmm.
Shannon says
wow, totally my drink 🙂 i can't wait to get some cherries...
Samantha Dawn says
Soooo refreshing! Love that there's no fake food dye in the cherries!
Jazmin says
These are AMAZING! Definitely try it if you're a cherry coke fan!