Yadi’s Bruised Berry Cocktail

After watching Yadier Molina’s horrific injury on Sunday, and then hearing about the surgery that it required, I felt like I could use a drink. So in my other career as an amateur mixologist, I decided to see if I couldn’t create a drink in honor of Yadi’s sacrifice.

Here’s what I came up with:

Yadi’s Bruised Berry Cocktail

Ingredients:

2 Cherries

3 tsp Simple syrup

¹⁄₂ lime, quartered

2 oz. light Puerto Rican rum

Step One:

Drop two cherries into a pint glass or cocktail shaker.

Step Two:

Smash those cherries with a muddler. Really apply some blunt force trauma and do some damage. If you don’t have a muddler, a wooden spoon or a Kris Bryant replica mini-bat will also work.

Step Three:

Add the half lime, cut into quarters, and the simple syrup. Muddle again until all the fruit is just pulverized.

Step Four:

Add two ounces of Puerto Rican white rum. It must be Puerto Rican.

Step Five:

Fill the glass nearly full with ice cubes.

Step Six:

Shake it. Shake it hard.

Step Seven:

Pour the whole drink out into a rocks glass. It will be a lovely shade of Cardinal red. Or hematoma red. The point is, it will be red.

And there you have it, Yadi’s Bruised Berry Cocktail. It’s basically a caipirinha with cherries, using Puerto Rican rum.

FAQ’s

What kind of cherries should I use?

Fresh or frozen cherries are best. The fuller and juicier they are before you smash them, the better. I did try this with a canned cherry. If that’s all you’ve got, give it a shot, but be aware that cherries canned in any kind of syrup will add more sweetness, so maybe cut back the sugar.

What is a simple syrup?

What are you, 26? Learn how to make simple syrup.

Can I make a non-alcoholic version of this?

Why on earth would you do that?

How boozy is this?

A lot boozy. But you could always add a little water to mellow it out.