The Luxardo Original Maraschino Cherries are candied cherries soaked in Luxardo marasca cherry syrup. It contains no preservatives and no thickening agents, and the deep-red color is all-natural. The cherry syrup is made with the same juice they use for infusion of their cherry liqueur. These cherres are used in the best bars and by the most famous mixologists around the world.
Its flavor is reminiscent to Amaretto—nutty and fruit-forward. It’s completely elegant, and a far cry from the usual artificially red Maraschino cherries we see.
This is perfect to use in cocktails, like in iced Manhattans or Whiskey Sours. It’s also great to top your ice cream sundaes with; it will add an elegant element to your drinks and desserts.
In 1821, Girolamo Luxardo founded his distillery to make “Rosolio Maraschino,” a Dalmatian liqueur that his wife, Maria, wanted to perfect. And they did perfect it, and this Maraschino liqueur became an important ingredient in cocktails everywhere. It also gave birth to other products, like their Cherry Liqueur and their Original Maraschino Cherries.
But World War II severely affected Luxardo distillery, with bombings and fights happening often and everywhere. The distillery itself, along with the city of Zara, Dalmatia, was almost completely destroyed. The majority of the surviving people fled to countries nearby, including some of the Luxardos. Sadly, three of them were killed by invaders.
The survivors escaped to Italy, bringing literally nothing with them. After more than a century, it seemed to signal the end of Luxardo. But in 1947, Giorgio Luxardo rehabilitated and rebirthed the distillery, this time in Torreglia, in North East Italy. Today, the distillery is at its seventh generation of Luxardo leadership. Girolamo’s legacy lives on in both his descendants, and his products.
Store your Luxardo cherries at room temperature, even after opening. Refrigeration will cause crystallization, and affect the color and texture. Consume within 3 years.