Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

That distinctive straw-wrapped bottle from Luxardo has been on back bars since 1821. Maraschino liqueur tastes nothing like those neon red cherries — it’s dry, slightly funky, with a bittersweet cherry-pit flavor. It’s the secret ingredient in an Aviation, a Hemingway Daiquiri, and a Last Word. Use it in half-ounce pours at most; it’s intense stuff. The liqueur is distilled from Marasca cherries grown in northeast Italy. There’s no real substitute — Maraska makes a decent alternative, but Luxardo is the gold standard bartenders reach for.

Last modified on October 15, 2026