Greek
Visinada (βυσσινάδα): Greek Cherryade
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
10 minutes
Yield
12 (1/4 cup per serving)
This delicious Visinada is a popular summer drink in Greece. Made with fresh cherries, sugar, and water, this cherryade is perfect for a hot summer day.
Visinada is a deliciously refreshing Greek drink that I absolutely LOVE! It is a sour cherryade that is the perfect drink for summer. It’s incredibly popular among Greeks (like me!) and it’s actually so easy to make with only 4-ingredients. Bonus points for it being cherry season! 🍒
❤️ Why You’ll Love Visinada
- Refreshing: Visinada is the perfect drink on a hot summer day because it’s the perfect amount of sweet, sour, and refreshing
- Authentic: This drink is really popular in Greece. Greek’s love it in the summertime!
- Delicious: Visinada is so delicious. I honestly love it and could drink a gallon of it on a hot summer day
🍲 Ingredients
Cherries 🍒 – Cherry season has to be one of the best times of year. I LOVE cherries. They are so good to snack on, plus they are good for you. Cherries are full of minerals and key vitamins like vitamin C. Cherries can also help your muscles recover, so they are a great post-gym snack!
Sugar – Just like when you make a lemonade, sugar is an essential ingredient in cherryade. The sugar helps balance the sour cherries and makes this Visinada so tasty.
👩🍳 How to Make Visinada
- Remove the cherry stems and pit the cherries. Add 4 cups of pitted cherries into a medium pot along with white sugar and water.
- Turn to medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stir a few times to dissolve the sugar. Once boiling, turn to medium-low and keep at a simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and use a potato masher to crush / smash the cherries in the pot until broken down a bit. Let steep / sit for 20-25 minutes in the pot. After 20-25 minutes, pour through a strainer so you get the cherry syrup into a 26-28 oz jar.*Save the cherry solids from the strainer as a delicious dessert (see below for ideas).*Let the cherry syrup full cool in the jar and then store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
- To make one cherryade drink add 1/4 cup cherry syrup to a tall glass and top with 1 cup sparkling water (optional: add some of the reserved cherry solids to the glass too). Stir and garnish with fresh cherries and fresh basil if desired.
🗒 Tips and Tricks
- Adjust the amount of syrup and sparkling water to your tastes (more or less of each depending on your taste preferences)
- Save the cherry solids in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Top your favorite Greek yogurt or ice cream with them for a delicious treat
🗒 Best served with
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store leftovers in a jug in your fridge. This will last for up to a week! Pour it over ice when you’re ready to serve.
🤔 Common Questions
Barley has a chewy texture and a nutty flavor.
When cooking it on stovetop it takes 25-30 minutes until cooked and soft.
Bulgur takes about 10-15 minutes to cook. You can also cook bulgur by soaking it in boiling water for about 20-30 minutes.
Visinada (βυσσινάδα) : Greek Cherryade
Your Greek mommy that is. 😍 Step into my kitchen to learn how to make yummy Greek food. 🍽️💃
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh cherries, stems removed and pitted
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 cups water
- sparkling water
- extra cherries and fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Remove the cherry stems and pit the cherries. Add 4 cups of pitted cherries into a medium pot along with white sugar and water.
- Turn to medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stir a few times to dissolve the sugar. Once boiling, turn to medium-low and keep at a simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and use a potato masher to crush / smash the cherries in the pot until broken down a bit. Let steep / sit for 20-25 minutes in the pot. After 20-25 minutes, pour through a strainer so you get the cherry syrup into a 26-28 oz jar. *Save the cherry solids from the strainer as a delicious dessert (see below for ideas).*Let the cherry syrup full cool in the jar and then store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
- To make one cherryade drink add 1/4 cup cherry syrup to a tall glass and top with 1 cup sparkling water (optional: add some of the reserved cherry solids to the glass too). Stir and garnish with fresh cherries and fresh basil if desired.
Video
Notes
- Adjust the amount of syrup and sparkling water to your tastes (more or less of each depending on your taste preferences)
- Save the cherry solids in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Top your favourite Greek yogurt or ice cream with them for a delicious treat!
