My first co*cktail garnish was a ruby slipper–red orb, squished into the bottom of a Shirley Temple. I was in awe. Those neon-hued syrupy-sweet cherries made me feel like a grown-up. And I don’t think I’m alone: what kid doesn't love savoring that last bite of cherry at the bottom of a tumbler or sundae glass?
But as I’ve grown up, my cherries have, too. It turns out that candy-sweet treat wasn't everything I thought it was. The modern "maraschino cherry"—that bright-red specimen spotted ubiquitously on grocery store shelves, in ice cream parlors, and across dive bars alike—was created in a lab. But OG Maraschino cherries, called Luxardo cherries, are the real deal—and they have a much more interesting history than today's Shirley Temple offerings.
What Are Maraschino Cherries and Where Do They Come From?
Before it became known for its preserved cherries, Luxardo was a distillery on the coast of what was once an Italian province, but is now modern-day Croatia. Founded in 1821 by Girolamo Luxardo, an Italian consul in that region, the company made its name with a cherry liqueur called Maraschino, which Girolamo based on a medieval spirit. The liqueur was made from sour Marasca cherries (grown in the sandy soil of Croatia) and made by distilling the fruit's leaves, stems, pits, and skins. (It's those pits, by the way, that give the liqueur its characteristic nutty background flavor, which is often mistaken for almonds.)
In 1905, the distillery started selling cherries candied in a syrup of Marasca cherry juice and sugar, thus creating the original Maraschino cherry.
Following World War II (and the near decimation of the Luxardo brand, once considered the most important distillery in the region), one family member, Giorgio Luxardo, managed to flee to the Veneto region of northern Italy, taking with him a Marasca sapling and the written recipe for the liqueur. Luxardo's liqueurs—and those cherries—have been made in Italy ever since.
How Did Maraschino Cherries Become "Maraschino" Cherries?
So where did the Camaro-red cherries—the ones we all grew up knowing as maraschinos—come from? Around Prohibition, Ernest Wiegand, a horticulturist at Oregon Agricultural College, found a way to approximate the flavor of the Italian cherries using brine, calcium salts, and sweet, American Royal Anne cherries. With the addition of almond flavoring and red dye (since the brining process bleached them of their natural color), the American version was redder, plumper, and a whole lot sweeter than its imported Italian forebears. And they sure were cheaper to produce!
Are Luxardo Cherries Worth the Money?
Out of the jar or tin, Luxardo cherries are nothing like the candy-apple red lumps bartenders plunk into kiddie co*cktails. They are a touch of class, the dark, perfect capper to a stiff drink. Their red is so deep, it's almost black; their syrup thicker than molasses on a chilly day. The taste is nutty like Amaretto and fruit-forward, without the sticky and acrid taste that waxy imitation maraschinos have. Slip one into a classic Aviation or Last Word co*cktail and there's really no comparison.
The topic of maraschino cherries and their fascinating history ties together elements of botany, chemistry, history, and mixology. Maraschino cherries have a convoluted past, originating from Luxardo, a distillery founded in 1821 in what is now modern-day Croatia. Girolamo Luxardo, an Italian consul in the region, crafted a cherry liqueur called Maraschino, utilizing sour Marasca cherries grown in Croatia's specific soil. The liqueur, distilled from various parts of the fruit, including leaves, stems, pits, and skins, possessed a distinct flavor often misconstrued as almond due to its nutty undertones attributed to the pits.
The creation of the original Maraschino cherry in 1905 marked a significant evolution. Luxardo began candying cherries in a syrup made from Marasca cherry juice and sugar, birthing the authentic Maraschino cherry. However, World War II nearly devastated the Luxardo brand, leading Giorgio Luxardo to safeguard a Marasca sapling and the liqueur recipe, relocating to the Veneto region in Italy. Since then, Luxardo's liqueurs and cherries have been produced in Italy.
The transformation of Maraschino cherries into the ubiquitous "maraschino" cherries known today occurred during Prohibition in the United States. Ernest Wiegand, a horticulturist at Oregon Agricultural College, devised a method using brine, calcium salts, and American Royal Anne cherries to replicate the Italian cherries' flavor. Through this process, augmented by almond flavoring and red dye to restore their color lost during brining, the American version emerged—redder, plumper, and markedly sweeter, yet cheaper to produce.
Luxardo cherries, distinct from the artificially dyed counterparts, exude sophistication and depth. They possess a rich, almost black-red hue and a syrup thicker than molasses, setting them apart from the neon-red cherries commonly associated with kiddie co*cktails. The taste is nuanced, with nutty notes reminiscent of Amaretto and a genuine fruit-forward profile, lacking the artificial and cloying taste prevalent in imitation maraschinos. Incorporating Luxardo cherries into classic co*cktails like the Aviation or Last Word enhances the drinking experience significantly, transcending the comparison to imitation varieties.
This narrative interweaves various disciplines, showcasing the botanic origins of cherries, the chemical processes behind their preservation, the historical context of Luxardo's journey, and the mixological impact of authentic versus imitation cherries on co*cktail experiences.
