George Washington’s Cherry Bounce Cordials

Several months ago — in April 2024 — archeologists at Mount Vernon plantation announced an incredible discovery. They found 250-year-old perfectly preserved cherries among 35 glass jars at George Washington’s estate. The cherries were discovered in six pits in the home’s dirt cellar during excavations related to renovations of the mansion’s foundation. Sealed glass jars with whole cherries were found along with a few other fruit presumed to be gooseberries and currants. It is hypothesized that the cherries were intended for cooking as the glass jars were small. Jars intended for alcoholic cocktails would have been larger. In addition to cooking with cherries, both Martha and George Washington were particularly found of a cherry cordial named, the “Cherry Bounce.”  I became curious in learning more about both the cherries found in the glass jars and George Washington’s Cherry Bounce Cordials. I decided to make some myself. Here is Mount Vernon — a beautiful setting on the Potomac River.

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A recipe for that cordial still survivies in correspondance from Martha Washington. The recipe states that it takes several months to properly let the cherries steep in a sugar syrup with brandy. Since cherries ripen in late summer to early autumn, the “Cherry Bounce” cordials are ready just in time for winter holiday celebrations. I can imagine grand parties at the Mount Vernon plantation.

Mount Vernon Plantation

Sipping cherry cordials was popular at dinner parties and social events in Colonial America in the 1700s and I am sure that George and Martha Washington served the drink many times. In fact, George Washington liked “Cherry Bounce” so much that he wrote of taking a canteen of the cherry liqueur along on an expedition trip over the Allegany Mountains in 1784.

Cherry alcoholic beverages were consumed much earlier and date back to England. Both cherry trees and cherry cordials made their way to this country with early colonists from the British Isles. The first published reference to the “Cherry Bounce” is an old English document from the seventeenth century. George Washington had cherry trees on his plantation but my understanding is that it is just a “fake” story — he really didn’t chop down his father’s cherry tree when he was a lad. 

Mount Vernon lies on the Potomac River in Fairfax County about 15 miles sough of Washington DC. George Washington’s ancesters acquired the property in 1674. Washington became the sold plantation owner in 1761 and lived there until his death in 1799. Here is the back of the plantation home.

Cherry trees grow and blossom magnificantly in the Eastern part of our country. If you ever have a chance to go to Washington D.C. in late March at the height of the cherry blossoms, then you are in for a treat. 

 

The chery blossoms are beautiful — brillant pink; the entire tree bursts with the blossoms.

Archeological Dig

The cherries in the glass jars appear to be carefully snipped with shears and packed into jars along with the stems, seeds and a liquid. Some of the cherries were in such perfect condition, that the cent of the cherries was still apparent with the jars were decanted. Although no brandy was added to the jars, Martha Washington wrote of the practice of sealing the jars by packing the necks tightly with brandy-soaked paper. The archeologist in charge of the project remarked that is was an extgraordinary combination of factors that lead to this unprecedented preservation of the fruit jars.

It is assumed that the jars pre-date 1775 because that was when the cellar floor was paved with bricks during an expansion of the mansion. This happened sometime betweeen 1758 and 1776. The bottles were found only because Mount Vernon is doing a $40 million revitalizationproject of the mansion which they expect to be completed by the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026. Otherwise, the cellar would never be disturbed.

The content of some of the bottles was sent off to labs for chemical and DNA analysis. Will the seeds gro trees? We don’t know, but perhaps the analysis will identify what variety of cherry tree was growing on the plantation.

Mount Vernon is owned and operated by the non-profit Mount Bernon Ladies’ Association (MVLS) who took possession of Geroge Washington’s plantation in 1860. The MVLS is America’s first historic preservation organization. These two photos related to the dig are credited to this organization.

Making ‘Cherry Bounce” Syrup

I decided to make “Cherry Bounce” cocktails which paralleled the recipe used by Martha Washinton. Martha’s recipe mixes cherries, spices and sugar. The mixture cooked and then pressed and the juice is added to brandy. This is allowed to set and ferment for about two months. 

Instead of taking two months, I decided to make cherry syrup in one afternoon and then add the syrup to brandy to make a cocktail. Here are the ingredients. Martha states that for a pound of cherries you add an equal amount of sugar. That’s alot of sugar. The spices in my recipe are cinnamon sticks and cloves. Lemon juiice is added just to keep the cherries from turning brown.

Since I wanted to use the cherries in other recipes, I first removed the cherry stems and pits. I used a fork to dig into the cherry and pull ou the pit..

Here are my stemmed and pitted cherries.

Then I let all the ingredeints boil gently on stove.

I strained the cherry syrup from the cherry solids.

Here is cherry syrup..Delicious.

“Cherry Bounce” is actually cherry-flavored brandy or a cherry cordial. I decided to make a cocktail which is slightly different. I used brandy, my cherry syrup, lemon juice and ice and shook this mixture together to make my cocktails..

For one variation, I added a little tonic water for fizz and really enjoyed these cocktails.

It is quite amazing to realize that the cherries in the bottles are 250 years old and are exact ones which George Washington, his family and residents on the plantation might have consumed. It was interesting to research and learn about the “Cherry Bounce” drink that the family consumed, to research the recipe that Martha Washington wrote down and to try making a similar cocktail myself.

For history and more information visit the website for the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association.