Are you planning a summer gathering this weekend? Take advantage of cherries being in-season with a new twist on the traditional Mojito. We bet your guests will smile with ever sip.

Ingredients

Serves 12

•    1 1/4 cups sugar

•    1 1/4 cups freshly squeezed lime juice, about 9 limes

•    3 pounds Bing cherries

•    18 ounces best-quality black cherry or plain vodka

•    1 bottle sparkling water (750 mL)

Directions

1.    Bring sugar and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool completely. (Makes about 2 cups syrup.) Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 month.

2.    Put lime juice into a medium nonreactive bowl. Halve and pit cherries; add to lime juice. Stir in syrup. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to overnight).

3.    Stir cherry mixture and vodka in a large serving bowl. Fill 12 glasses with ice. Spoon 1/2 cup cherry-vodka mixture into each glass. Top off with sparkling water. Serve immediately.

Cheers!