The conception of Wicked Lix began simply enough. My husband and I were attending a wedding reception, when a friend of the wedding party quietly crept over to us, as if to cover himself from discovery. He discreetly opened up a portable cooler, exposing several jars of maraschino cherries in a dark liquid. In a whispering voice he said: Do ya wanna try some of "Grandpa’s cherries?"
After some questioning, we discovered that the cherries had been "marinating" in full strength whiskey for over a year under Grandpa's bed. Even though the idea sounded like novel fun, they were quite potent. One bite into the cherry sent each of us reeling with the intoxicating effect and overwhelming taste of whiskey.
We watched with curiosity and amusement as this same individual meandered through the reception crowd, thrilling and shocking each in turn with the concoction. We observed how fascinated and spellbound people were with the idea, but one bite was enough to dissuade any further consumption.
On the way home from the reception, we talked about how enthralled people were with the idea, but that the cherries were just way too strong to be enjoyed by anyone, so the experience resulted in disappointment. We decided to create our own version of these sensations, and vowed to make them enjoyable to consume for our friends and family at our next entertainment event. It took years to develop a recipe with the right balance!
We live at the lake and enjoy a large number of visitors every summer. Our guests became testers for different strengths and flavors of fruits, alcohols, recipes, and we offered them as an unusual condiment that delighted, captivated, and mesmerized them. As the years went by, we realized that people were still asking if we made the cherries, if we had any new combinations to try, or if we could make them for an unusual gift for their recipients. It occurred to us that people enjoyed the new recipe that struck the perfect balance of flavor and fun, and that we should make them available to everyone...
Wicked Lix was born!
