10 of the Best Cocktails to Make With Maraschino Liqueur

Maraschino cherries might be known for their saccharine glaze that fits right in atop a Shirley Temple, but Maraschino liqueur is a different story. While the syrupy cherries are typically sweet varieties such as Royal Ann, Rainier, or Gold, Maraschino liqueur is made from Marasca cherries, which are far more sour than their aforementioned counterparts. Moreover, the liqueur is produced not just with the fruit of the cherry itself, but its leaves, stems, and pits, which imbue the liqueur with complex bitter and botanical notes.

In terms of which Maraschino liqueur to use when crafting cocktails, the most popular on the market is undoubtedly the one produced by Luxardo. The Luxardo family has been distilling their cherry liqueur since 1821 and, in that time, has become practically synonymous with Maraschino liqueur.

The spirit features in classics like the Last Word and the Aviation (which is maybe why you have a bottle in your cabinet), but there are plenty of other Maraschino liqueur-spiked cocktails worth your affection. Read on to discover 10 of the best cocktails to make with Maraschino liqueur.

The Last Word

A bonafide classic, the Last Word utilizes the easily riffable, four-equal-parts cocktail rubric and served as the foundation for modern classics like the Paper Plane and the Naked and Famous. In the build, Maraschino liqueur shares the spotlight with gin, green Chartreuse, and freshly squeezed lime juice for a crisp, herbaceous, and endlessly refreshing sipper.

The Brooklyn

Where the Manhattan might only be garnished with a maraschino cherry, its sister cocktail, the Brooklyn, sees the liqueur added directly to the build. As a riff on the NYC-named classic, the Brooklyn has rye whiskey and vermouth, though the recipe calls for dry vermouth in place of the Manhattan’s sweet. The cocktail also utilizes Amer Picon — a type of French bitters made with orange, gentian, and quinine — in place of Angostura, which gives the cocktail a firm botanical backbone, plus a touch of Maraschino liqueur for some sweetness.

The Red Hook

Named for the small Brooklyn neighborhood of the same name, the Red Hook is often considered to be a combination of the Manhattan and the Brooklyn, making it a riff on a riff. The cocktail fuses rye whiskey with Maraschino liqueur and Punt e Mes, a bitter Italian vermouth. Bittersweet and chock full of peppery spice, the Red Hook captures the same vibrant, gritty energy of its namesake neighborhood.

The Casino

The history of the Casino is murky, with no one truly able to identify who stirred it up for the first time. Nevertheless, it is known that the earliest print version of the Casino’s recipe was published in 1909 and called for the same ingredients used today, including Old Tom gin, which is slightly sweeter and more viscous than standard gin thanks to the addition of beet sugar, and Maraschino liqueur. With a splash of fresh lemon juice for brightness and orange bitters for balance, the Casino is vibrant, tart, and ideal for springtime sipping.

The East India Cocktail

This cocktail’s ingredients pay homage to some of the goods imported by the trading company that was, at one point, the largest in the world. Despite the drink’s longevity — it was first created in 1882 — it remains one of the most debated recipes in cocktail history, with bartenders frequently squabbling about what flavor of fruit syrup should be used and how that syrup should be made. This version combines Cognac, pineapple gum syrup, orange curaçao, Maraschino liqueur, and Angostura bitters for a cocktail with tropical fruit, dry cherry, and subtle spice notes.

The Martinez

Why choose between a Martini and a Manhattan when you can have both? Often considered a cross between the two classic cocktails, the Martinez swaps out the latter’s spicy rye whiskey in favor of the former’s gin, which provides the cocktail with its botanical base. Paired with an equal portion of sweet vermouth and a quarter-ounce of Maraschino liqueur, the Martinez pairs the Manhattan’s subtle sweetness with the brightness of a well-made gin Martini. Complete with two dashes of Angostura bitters and a lemon twist garnish, the cocktail is vibrant, expressive, and the best of both worlds when you can’t choose between a whiskey and a gin drink.

The Aviation

A boozy combination of gin, Maraschino liqueur, and crème de violette serve as the Aviation’s foundation, with the last ingredient providing the drink with its eye-catching color. A squeeze of lime juice harmonizes with the fruity and floral base, while simple syrup provides a touch of additional sweetness. If that sounds like too much sugar, feel free to reduce the amount of simple syrup or eliminate it entirely.

The Division Bell

If you prefer mezcal over gin but still want to try a Last Word, perhaps the Division Bell will suit your fancy. Developed by NYC-based bartender Phil Ward, the cocktail utilizes the agave spirit as its base with Aperol subbed in place of green Chartreuse, along with the requisite Maraschino liqueur. Finished off with a hit of lime juice, the Division Bell is citrusy, smoky, and slightly sweet, making for a complex and enticing drinking experience.

El Floridita

Also known as the Hemingway Daiquiri, El Floridita is a riff on the classic Daiquiri that was once beloved by Ernest Hemingway himself. The renowned American writer was a regular at El Floridita — a bar in Havana, Cuba, that serves as the cocktail’s namesake — where he was known to sip on the cocktail made with white rum, Maraschino liqueur, and lime juice. With the cherry liqueur used in place of simple syrup, El Floridita is slightly less sweet than a standard Daiquiri, offering tart, cherry limeade flavors.

The Mary Pickford

First shaken up sometime in the 1920s, the Mary Pickford traditionally combines white rum, fresh pineapple juice, grenadine, and Maraschino liqueur. At Brooklyn’s Sunken Harbor Club, chief cocktail officer Garret Richard takes the Prohibition-era cocktail to new heights with aged rum, acid-adjusted pineapple juice, gum syrup, and saline solution. By swapping out white rum in favor of aged rum, the pomegranate, cherry, and pineapple notes are allowed space to shine, bringing forth spiced, baked fruit flavors. And don’t forget the saline solution; it might seem frivolous, but adding salt to cocktails often brings out more subtle flavors, resulting in a more balanced drink.

*Image retrieved from weyo via stock.adobe.com

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