Some traditions grow richer with time.
When we opened Kakawa Chocolates in 2009, Brandied Cherries were among the very first Christmas chocolates we made. Seventeen years later, these cherry chocolate liqueurs are still made in much the same way: fresh Australian cherries, brandy, fondant and Valrhona dark chocolate.
What has changed is the brandy itself. It has been quietly maturing since the very beginning.
A Little Piece of Kakawa History
Each year, as the Australian cherry season arrives around Christmas, we begin a new batch. We use fresh, seasonal Australian cherries rather than imported fruit, and their arrival has always marked the start of this Christmas tradition.
We select the cherries by hand and immerse them in brandy, where they rest for a full year.
Here is the part of the story we love most.
Much like a sourdough starter, our master cherry brandy has been carried forward since our very first batch in 2009. Each year we keep a portion, then add fresh cherries and new brandy. The old and the new come together, and with every season the brandy grows deeper, richer and more complex, holding a little character from each Christmas that has passed.
This year, our master cherry brandy turns 17. It is a living part of Kakawa’s history, and every new batch feels like the next chapter of a story we started the day we opened our doors.
From One Christmas to the Next
While the rest of the year rushes by, our cherries mature patiently in brandy. Good ingredients, time and patience. Nothing more complicated than that.
As Christmas approaches, the cherries that began their journey the previous summer are finally ready. Each one is dipped in fondant, then coated twice by hand in Valrhona dark chocolate.
Even then, the transformation continues. Over time, the brandy and natural cherry juices mingle with the fondant, turning it into a soft, syrupy centre.
The result is a beautiful balance of fruity cherry, gentle brandy warmth, sweet fondant and rich dark chocolate. Where many liqueur chocolates taste sharp or overpowering, ours are warm, mellow and wonderfully nostalgic. A chocolate to enjoy slowly.
Worth the Wait
So much has changed at Kakawa over the years. We have created new chocolates, explored new ingredients and developed countless recipes. Through it all, Brandied Cherries have remained part of our Christmas.
There is comfort in returning to the same process each year: waiting for the cherry season, preparing the fruit, tending the brandy and, as Christmas draws near, dipping each cherry by hand.
It reminds us why we fell in love with chocolate making. Not everything needs to be faster, newer or more complicated. Sometimes the most meaningful things are the ones we keep making with the same care, year after year.
A Christmas Tradition to Share
Perhaps you remember liqueur cherries from Christmases past. Perhaps you are discovering them for the first time. Either way, we hope our Brandied Cherries become part of your own tradition, just as they have been part of ours for 17 years.
Share them after Christmas dinner, give them as a thoughtful handmade gift or savour one quietly with your coffee. And when you bite through that dark chocolate shell into the soft, syrupy centre, we hope you taste the time and care inside.
Be the First to Know When They Return
Because each batch begins with the summer cherry season and takes a full year to mature, we make only a limited number each Christmas. Our Loyalty members hear about the release first.
Join our Loyalty program or subscribe to our newsletter to be among the first to know when our Brandied Cherries return.
Seventeen years of tradition. One year of patience. One moment to savour.
Jin Sun
Founder & Head Chocolatier, Kakawa Chocolates
Jin Sun is the founder and head chocolatier of Kakawa Chocolates, which she started in Sydney back in 2009. She trained at Le Cordon Bleu, worked her way through some of Sydney's top fine dining kitchens, and spent time in London learning the craft under renowned chocolatier Keith Herdman. A multi-award winner and a judge at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, Jin Sun still designs every piece of Kakawa chocolate, with a skilled team of chocolatiers making them by hand.
