A Black Forest gateau would not be the same without it: kirsch is the cherry spirit that soaks the sponge and flavours the cream between the layers. Our Jacobert Kirsch tastes of cherries and their stones, and it is clear and colourless, so a white chocolate ganache or a Chantilly cream keeps its colour.

What Is Kirsch? 

Kirsch is a fruit spirit, made by fermenting cherries and then distilling them into a clear eau-de-vie. Because it is a true distillate, its flavour follows its strength, so converting a recipe is simple: for a recipe written for a 40% kirsch, use around five-sixths of the amount. At 48% vol, it also brings less water into a ganache than a drinking spirit would, which helps the filling stay firm and keep for longer, and it contains no sugar, so your recipe's sweetness stays as it is.

How to Use Jacobert Kirsch 

Keep it away from the heat, which evaporates the cherry flavour along with the alcohol: add it to a cooling ganache, a whipped cream or a syrup that is already off the stove. As a guide, use 50g to 100g per kilo of ganache, depending on how strong you want the cherry to be, 15g to 45g per kilo of Chantilly cream, and 80g to 250g per kilo of soaking syrup for a sponge.

Pairings and Ideas <h4>

Kirsch works with cherry, dark chocolate, almond, vanilla and pineapple. A few ideas to try:

• Black Forest gateau
• Cherry and kirsch dark chocolate bonbons
• Kirsch Chantilly cream for cherry tarts
• Cherry and almond frangipane tart
• Fresh pineapple in a kirsch syrup