Tempus Fugit Cocktail Cherries Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: A-

Fugit inreparabile tempus. I’m a classics nerd, so I’m familiar with the origins of the phase tempus fugit, coming from the works of the Roman poet Virgil. It means “time flies,” and is an admonition against procrastination.

The phrase has also become the namesake for a micro-distillery, Tempus Fugit Spirits, which is centered on reproducing 19th century style spirits with an eye on mixology. They are best known for their absinthe, and they don’t make any whiskey at all, which raises the question of why I’m covering them for The Whiskey Reviewer. The answer is they have some cocktail cherries, and good cocktail cherries are a must have for Manhattans and Old Fashioneds.

It’s worth repeating what Tempus Fugit says about their pre-Prohibition derived process of making the cherries with  “Kirsch-based syrup for added complexity and flavor. The addition of Gum Arabic contributes a velvety texture to the spiced sugar syrup that doesn’t simply dissipate in a cocktail, but subtly enhances the mouthfeel without having to overload the syrup with sugar and glucose.”

The Cherries
Hands down, these are my favorite cocktail cherries that are available at retail. I’ve had some that were better, but these were made by individuals for private use or for use at a particular bar; you can’t buy them. They replace my previous top choice (and incidentally, writing this reminds me I never reviewed them), Traverse City Premium Cocktail Cherries.

The Price
These excellent cherries are available for in two sizes, 225g (32 cherries) for $12.99 and 415g (60 cherries) for $19.99.