Kirsch is a strong, clear drink made from cherries. The fruit (and often the stones) is fermented and then distilled, so you get a sharp cherry smell and a lot of alcohol, not a sweet dark liqueur. People sip it in small glasses, and cooks put a splash in cakes and sauces — Black Forest cake is the famous one. It feels more at home in German-speaking Europe and in restaurant kitchens than in an ordinary pub. English borrowed the word from French; French had taken German Kirschwasser, “cherry water”.