Protect the Cherry ~ Ornament

Protect the Cherry ~ The Last One Is Spoken For

There is one brandied cherry left in the jar and she already knows whose drink it belongs to, and it is not the guest who keeps opening the fridge. Hospitality has limits. The limits are about seven millimeters wide and deep red.

• Who Guards It: The host who treats the jar like a family heirloom.
• The Scene: A hand reaching toward the cherries and a quiet throat-clear from across the kitchen.
• Gift Note: For the friend whose generosity stops exactly at the garnish.

Cocktail Threads made this round ornament for the tree that stands next to the bar cart. Pick ceramic at 3 inches or aluminum at 3.6 inches, and it arrives with its hanging string. A wipe with a damp cloth keeps it as polished as a chilled coupe, December after December. Tie it to a bottle of the good stuff, hang it on the tree, or hook it on the shaker shelf for the host who measures the vermouth twice.