Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur — Maraschino Originale — is a 750mL sour Marasca cherry liqueur bottled at 32% ABV (64 proof), following the original recipe from 1821: Marasca cherries with their leaves, stems and pits are infused in larchwood vats, distilled in traditional copper pot stills, matured in Finnish ash-wood vats, and finished with a simple syrup of sugar and water. It takes around four years to produce, and it is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.

• ABV: 32% (64 proof)
• Size: 750mL
• Production: Up to 3 years' infusion in larchwood, copper pot distillation (heart only), then ash-wood vats (the Finnish ash origin and one-year duration are importer detail)
• Base fruit: Sour Marasca cherries — fruit, leaves, stems and pits — from Luxardo's own trees
• House: Luxardo, founded 1821 in Zara; now at Torreglia, Veneto
• Origin: Italy

The 1821 Original Behind the Classics

Girolamo Luxardo founded his house in Zara in 1821 to make this liqueur, and Maraschino Originale is still made the slow way: the whole Marasca harvest — fruit, leaves, branches and stones — infuses in larchwood for up to three years before a copper pot distillation, of which only the heart is kept and rested in ash wood. Crystal clear and intensely aromatic, it is the bottle behind the Aviation, the Hemingway Special and the Last Word. Browse the house on the Luxardo vendor page, or explore our liqueurs collection.

Tasting Notes

Per the brand: crystal clear, with the typical aroma of Marasca cherry distillate, strong spirit and roasted nuttiness; smooth yet sharp on the palate, with hints of dark chocolate, vanilla and orange marmalade over the persistent cherry core.

How to Enjoy

Reach for it wherever a classic recipe calls for maraschino — an Aviation, a Martinez, a Last Word — or pour it neat as an after-dinner drink and over fresh strawberries, pineapple or ice cream, as the house suggests. More cocktail liqueurs are in our liqueurs collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Luxardo Maraschino taste like?
Dry, complex and nutty-cherry rather than candy-sweet: Marasca cherry distillate with roasted nuttiness, dark chocolate, vanilla and orange marmalade, per the brand.

How is Maraschino Originale made?
Sour Marasca cherries — including leaves, stems and pits — infuse in larchwood vats for up to three years, are distilled in copper pot stills, and the heart of the distillate matures in ash-wood vats before syrup brings it to 32% ABV; the full process takes about four years.

Is this the same fruit as Luxardo's cherries?
Yes — both come from the family's own sour Marasca trees in the Veneto; the liqueur is distilled from the whole harvest, while the Original Maraschino Cherries are the candied fruit itself.

Two centuries on, still the maraschino every classic recipe means — order Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.