Sour Cherry Preserves

If I could have only one fruit preserve for the rest of my life, this would be it. Tart, tender cherries in slightly sweet, not-too-thick syrup—I can’t imagine anything better dripping off creamy peaks of hard-frozen ice cream, or puddled next to a plain cake, or as the most important part of a Black Forest Cake. Just about any cocktail—a Manhattan, for example, or a Sidecar—would be better with a few preserved sour cherries sunk in the bottom. Or try