Among the many ways you could choose to celebrate the semiquincentennial anniversary of the U.S., indulging in one of the country’s oldest pastimes — whiskey drinking — may be one of the most appealing.
To honor the past, both of the country at large and of local distilling, West Overton Village’s distillery is debuting its cherry bounce, a sweet, whiskey-based cherry cordial created with cherry concentrate and baking spices.
Patrick Bochy, distillery manager and co-executive director, said cherry bounce predates the U.S. by a few hundred years.
“Cherry bounce is a historic cherry cordial that found its way to the American colonies when they were founded. The cordial itself dates back to 16th-century England,” he said. “What better way to commemorate America’s 250th (than) with this historic cordial?”
The Overholt family, the founders of the country’s oldest continual whiskey brand and the village’s second-most famous inhabitants — next to Henry Clay Frick — were making cherry bounce in the village during the 19th century.
“We have evidence in the ledger that they were buying cherries and whiskey to make bounce in 1862,” Bochy said.
Amanda Eutsey, West Overton’s distiller, said she was tasked with coming up with a “shelf-stable, accurate and delicious” recipe for the cherry bounce, which, though popular for centuries, has no standard recipe.
Made with Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania rye whiskey, cherry concentrate from a Michigan farm, sugar syrup and spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, West Overton’s “very cherry-forward, very sweet” bounce is a direct ode to an entry in Henry Overholt’s ledger book, which recorded a July 15, 1862, order of 20.5 gallons of whiskey “to make bounce.”
The first 250 of the more than 1,000 bottles of cherry bounce West Overton created are adorned with commemorative America 250 tags featuring Overholt’s photograph.
Bochy said early Americans commonly enjoyed cherry bounce as a dessert beverage.
“It’s a good option for people to come into the distillery that aren’t necessarily heavy whiskey drinkers, but maybe want to start somewhere,” Eutsey said.
She said there seems to be a small boom for cherry bounce-making this year, likely in celebration of the drink’s significant history.
“We’re just excited here at West Overton to bring back something that hasn’t been done since the 1860s here onsite,” Bochy said. “It’s an exciting way to taste a little bit of history, and we do hope that people enjoy our interpretation of the liqueur.”
The distillery is incorporating the drink into its cocktail menu, including in an old-fashioned.
Bochy said he believes the drink will be popular among patrons.
“We do think it’s going to do well here … so it will likely be a permanent addition to our line,” he said. “We are, first and foremost, a historic site … So when it comes to West Overton distilling, we’re very particular on what we do.
“There has to be a tie to the historic site, and what the Overholt family was doing here when they were running the place at its peak, right?” Bochy said.
Bochy and Eutsey said the distillery has plans to continue expanding its historically grounded drink lineup in the future. They said a brandy made from the village’s onsite grapes is currently in the works.
Bottles of cherry bounce are currently being sold for $45 at the East Huntingdon distillery, which is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday at 109 W. Overton Road.