If you imagine a bright-red, syrupy sweet top-of-a-sundae cherry when you think Maraschino, you’re really missing out. Maraschino is also a cherry liqueur made by the spirit company Luxardo, and you can either buy brandied cherries made by them or make your own brandied cherries for a Manhattan or Old Fashioned cocktail DIY-style.

1. Make a syrup with two parts sweetener and one part water. 
2. Simmer the fruit in the syrup on the stove for several minutes. Try adding in different spices, like vanilla bean, clove, anise, or nutmeg.
3. Strain out the fruit and let the syrup cool to room temperature. 
4. Then, mix equal parts syrup and brandy, Maraschino liqueur, or amaro. 
5. Fill a jar with the fruit. 
6. Pour the syrup/liqueur mixture over the fruit. 
7. Let the jar sit for two weeks. The longer it sits, the better the fruit will be. 
8. Store in the refrigerator. Use within two months.   

Love this recipe? Use this same process with any seasonal fruit, like peach slices, melon balls, or berries.

Dried citrus wheels look great on a drink, with the bonus of being edible. You can add spices before drying the fruit to add powerful aromatics to a cocktail. Cinnamon, allspice, and ginger powder are great starting points.

1. Choose your citrus fruit (we recommend trying lemon, lime, blood orange, or clementine).
2. Slice citrus into ¼ inch wheels. 
3. Preheat the oven to 170°. Dehydration takes low heat for a long time. 
4. Place fruit slices onto cooling racks on top of baking sheets. 
5. Put in the oven, rotating every 1½ hours, so the citrus gets even heat. 
6. Check the wheels for moisture; most citrus will take between 3 and 5 hours to dry.

Store in plastic freezer bags or glass storage jars, in a cool dark place dehydrated fruit will stay good for up to a year.

If you’ve never taken a shine to a Gibson, maybe it’s because the pickled onion was sub-par. With quick pickling, you don’t need to go through the hassle of canning. Just develop your own house recipe. Besides pearl onions, try sport peppers, cucumber, beets, or even strawberries.

1. Acquire super-ripe, fresh vegetables. 
2. Combine equal parts of vinegar and water (any vinegar works as long as it’s high quality, but we like white or apple cider vinegar best). For every two cups of liquid, add one tablespoon of sugar and kosher salt. 
3. Place on high heat and boil until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let the brine sit for a minute or two to cool.  
4. Pour spices into a mason jar (use any spice combination you have: fresh, dried, ground, or whole) and then fill with the fruit or vegetables. 
5. Pour brine into the jar, leaving a ½ inch of space at the top. 

Wait 48 hours before sampling the pickled goods. Store in the refrigerator for up to two months.