Maraschino Cherry
A maraschino cherry is a preserved cocktail cherry, and two quite different things share the name. Luxardo's are dark marasca cherries candied in their own syrup; the bright red kind are pale cherries bleached in brine, then dyed and sweetened, and neither contains alcohol. One goes in a Manhattan or an Aviation, and the red ones top a Tom Collins or an AMF.
Quick Facts
Keep the cherries under the syrup. Luxardo: a cool cupboard once opened, not the fridge. Bright red jars: follow the label.
Contains: sulphites. Bright red cocktail cherries are usually preserved with sulphur dioxide, and their labels declare it; Luxardo's list no allergens. Check the jar.
About Maraschino Cherry
Flavour Profile
Primary Flavours
Tasting Notes
Luxardo: dark, soft, sour cherry and almond in thick syrup. Bright red: firm, sweet and mostly sugar.
Two different cherries share the name
The first maraschino cherries were sour marasca cherries from around Zadar, preserved in maraschino, the clear liqueur made from the same fruit. Luxardo's jar keeps the fruit and drops the liqueur: its cherries are candied in sugar and marasca juice, coloured with grape extract.
The bright red cherry is a different food that borrowed the word. Paler cherries are bleached in a brine of sulphur dioxide and calcium chloride, firmed, then dyed and sweetened. Ernest Wiegand at Oregon State worked out the calcium-salt brine between 1925 and 1931, and it is still the standard method.
Luxardo cherries and the bright red kind
Fruit
- Luxardo maraschino cherries
- Marasca cherries
- Bright red cocktail cherries
- Paler sweet cherries
Preserved in
- Luxardo maraschino cherries
- Syrup of sugar and marasca juice
- Bright red cocktail cherries
- Sulphite brine, then sugar syrup
Colour from
- Luxardo maraschino cherries
- The fruit and grape extract
- Bright red cocktail cherries
- Dye: in British jars often erythrosine, E127
Alcohol
- Luxardo maraschino cherries
- None listed
- Bright red cocktail cherries
- None
After opening
- Luxardo maraschino cherries
- Room temperature; cold crystallises the syrup
- Bright red cocktail cherries
- Follow the label on the jar
Our recipes that name them
- Luxardo maraschino cherries
- Singapore Sling, Bahama Mama, Tom Collins, Aviation
- Bright red cocktail cherries
- The rest, where the recipe says cherry
| Luxardo maraschino cherries | Bright red cocktail cherries | |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit | Marasca cherries | Paler sweet cherries |
| Preserved in | Syrup of sugar and marasca juice | Sulphite brine, then sugar syrup |
| Colour from | The fruit and grape extract | Dye: in British jars often erythrosine, E127 |
| Alcohol | None listed | None |
| After opening | Room temperature; cold crystallises the syrup | Follow the label on the jar |
| Our recipes that name them | Singapore Sling, Bahama Mama, Tom Collins, Aviation | The rest, where the recipe says cherry |
Stirred drinks take one, and tall drinks put it with the fruit
A stirred drink ends on its garnish, so the dark cherry suits it: the Manhattan and Rob Roy take one, and the Aviation asks for Luxardo, dropped into the centre. Sours such as the Whiskey Sour take one beside citrus.
Tall and tiki drinks use it as colour. The Tom Collins sets one with a lemon slice, the Singapore Sling with pineapple, and the Adios Motherfucker with a lemon wheel. The Three Dots and a Dash skewers three with a pineapple chunk.
The jar needs a little care once open
A cherry sitting clear of the syrup dries out, so keep the level up and use a clean spoon. Luxardo's jar stays out of the fridge, by the maker's own instruction; for a red jar, the label decides. Neither contains alcohol, so the syrup is not maraschino and cannot replace it.
Using Maraschino Cherry
Usage
One cherry for a drink served up, dropped in or on a pick, as in a Manhattan or an Aviation. Tall drinks often take one beside fruit on the rim; the Three Dots and a Dash skewers three. Our Singapore Sling, Bahama Mama and Tom Collins ask for Luxardo.
Pro Tip
Rinse a bright red cherry under cold water if its syrup would tint a pale drink. A Luxardo cherry goes in as it is, with a little of its syrup clinging to it; in a Manhattan that last mouthful is part of the drink.
Top Tips
- Keep the cherries under the syrup. One left exposed dries and hardens.
- Store an opened jar of Luxardo cherries in a cupboard, not the fridge: cold crystallises the syrup.
- Lift cherries with a pick or spoon, never fingers, so the syrup stays clean.
- Odd numbers on a pick are a convention, not a rule; one is usual, and three suit a big tiki skewer.
Possible Substitutions
- Amarena cherries
- Brandied cherries
- Fresh cherry (seasonal, different texture)
Production Method
Luxardo: marasca cherries candied in sugar and marasca juice. Bright red: pale cherries bleached in a sulphur dioxide and calcium chloride brine, then dyed and sweetened.
History & Context
Maraschino cherries began on the Dalmatian coast around Zadar, where sour marasca cherries were preserved in maraschino, the liqueur made from the same fruit. Versions reached America in the late nineteenth century. Between 1925 and 1931 Ernest Wiegand, at Oregon State, worked out the calcium-salt brine that keeps a cherry firm without alcohol, the basis of the bright red cherry since.
More to explore
Common Questions
What is a maraschino cherry?
Where do maraschino cherries come from?
Do maraschino cherries have alcohol in them?
Why are maraschino cherries so red?
What is the difference between Luxardo cherries and maraschino cherries?
How should I store an opened jar of cocktail cherries?
Which cocktails use a maraschino cherry?
How many cherries go in a cocktail?
From the Guides
Made with Maraschino Cherry
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Updated 12 October 2026