The Best Alcohol for Boozy and Fruity Desserts, According to a Pro Baker

Seasonal fruit is irresistible as is, but do you know what makes it even better? Booze. A bit of alcohol provides complex flavors to harmonize with, and can also cut the sweetness or richness of a dessert. On the flip side, fresh fruit can add interest to your favorite cocktail when muddled into the base or used as a garnish. 

Some pairings just make sense on paper — think kirsch and cherries or raspberries and Chambord — while other duos are straight-up surprising (grapefruit and Malört, anyone?). Try these fruit-and-booze combos the next time you’re baking a cake or shaking up a cocktail.

Double down

Apples and Calvados

An aged apple brandy from the Normandy region of France, Calvados heightens the flavor of any apple dessert, whether used in the filling for apple pie or the glaze for an apple upside-down cake. Add it to a salted caramel dip for fresh apple slices, or splash into a mug of hot spiced apple cider.

Cherries and kirsch

A clear cherry brandy, kirsch is one of the main ingredients in a traditional Black Forest Cake for a reason. Spike your cherry pie filling with a tablespoon, or make a refreshing cherry spritz by adding an ounce to a combination of tart cherry juice and sparkling water.

Raspberries and Chambord

The sweet raspberry-based liqueur intensifies anything that features raspberries. Use it to boost the flavor of a Fresh Raspberry Tart or Raspberry Preserves, or brush onto Molten Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling while it’s still warm. 

Classic combinations

Peaches and bourbon

Southern peaches and Kentucky bourbon are old friends. Add a splash of caramel and vanilla-forward bourbon to your peach cobbler, spike your whipped cream for a boozy take on peaches and cream, or muddle some ripe peaches into a bourbon cocktail like a classic Mint Julep or Old Fashioned for bright and woodsy undertones. 

Oranges and Aperol

If you’ve ever enjoyed a bubbly Aperol Spritz with an orange wheel, you know this combination just works. Use this citrusy and bittersweet liqueur in a glaze for any orange-scented cake, or add a tablespoon or two to orange curd.

Lemon and St-Germain

Take a cue from William and Kate’s royal wedding cake by marrying sunny lemon with this floral elderflower liqueur. Add a few tablespoons to a batch of buttercream or use as a simple syrup to soak a lemon cake. Better yet, add a few tablespoons to your next pitcher of adults-only lemonade.

Apricots and amaretto

Fun fact: Though amaretto is commonly thought of as an almond-flavored liqueur, it’s usually made from stone fruits pits, including apricot kernels. Combine these two in any dessert, from an apricot and almond tart to an apricot-amaretto jam. Or garnish your next Amaretto Sour with an apricot slice. 

Surprising pairings

Strawberries and Campari

Want a boozy twist on Strawberry Shortcake? Macerate your strawberries with a couple tablespoons of bitter and citrusy Campari for a subtle, complex twist on the simple dessert. Or muddle a few strawberries for your next Negroni.

Blueberries and gin

Gin’s herbaceous notes enhance mild-tasting blueberries and their somewhat herbal skin. Muddle some blueberries into your next Gin & Tonic or spike the filling for a blueberry pie with two tablespoons of gin. Feel free to experiment with the type of gin, too — London Dry is more juniper-heavy, while New Western gins can often show floral notes. 

Prunes and Armagnac

Hear me out on this one. First, prunes are delicious. Secondly, Armagnac-soaked prunes taste divine. This combination is actually a classic French pairing — in Agen, known as the prune capital of France, silky prunes are often soaked in the dark, brooding brandy. Try the combination in a classic, custardy Far Breton dessert, or spoon Armagnac-soaked prunes over some vanilla ice cream.

Grapefruit and Malört

Last but not least, a pairing close to my heart. Chicago’s infamous liqueur hits you with a bracing bitter note (which I love), and complements grapefruit’s refreshing sweet-sour bitterness. Local Hoosier Mama Pie Company’s “Chicago Sunrise” pairs these two in a sneaky, silky custard pie. Live on the edge, and swap tequila for Malört in your next Paloma.