Marasca cherries, sometimes also spelled maraska, have a dark red color, are small, quite firm, and astonishingly sour. Their origin lies in the coastal regions of Croatia, in the Dalamatia region, to be precise. Maraska is based in Zadar, Croatia. They began distilling cherry brandy liqueur in 1779 when the local peasants would bring them home-grown marasca sour cherries.

Smooth red cherry upfront with cinnamon and almond notes soon emerging. A sweet and lingering cherry/marzipan finish with a delicious tartness. Best ServedThe Leopold distillery was started by brothers Todd and Scott Leopold in 2007. The distillery is based in Denver, Colorado, and is the first distillery in 50 years to use a three-chamber still.

Maraska, with a but. This is the only maraschino I tasted that perfectly combines the smell and flavor of both cherries and cherry leaves. You could say that since the other competing maraschinos don’t have the Zadar maraschino PGI, they don’t need to have the same flavor profile. Still, since maraschino was indeed invented in Zadar, I consider the blend of cherry and leaf distillates as one of the liqueur’s defining principles. My “but” with the Maraska maraschino, however, is the excessive use of grain alcohol. You immediately notice that its aroma is more muted than in undiluted maraschinos. I understand that it makes Maraska cheaper to produce, but considering that nowadays the product brings more prestige than direct revenue, I don’t see the point of cutting costs. At the very least, why not make a deluxe version containing no grain alcohol at all? Bad news: no pictures allowed inside. If it’s any consolation, the plant is nothing like a Scottish distillery where large copper stills stand in the middle of the room like shrines to immemorial tradition. A lot of the production doesn’t involve distillation (distillation doesn’t go on year-round; it wasn’t happening during my visit), but rather maceration and blending, and this is reflected in the overall layout of the unassuming industrial building. Maraschino liqueur does have a slight cherry flavor. Yet, first and foremost, it is bitter, slightly dry, and also carries notes of almonds. The almonds are particularly detectable when drunk neat. As a point of reference, here are the organoleptic characteristics of Zadar maraschino, as described in its Protected Geographical Indication document:Peter F Heering was a young businessman trading goods in the trading port of Copenhagen in 1818. He took the cherry liqueur recipe he received from his former boss’s wife and perfected it into Heering Cherry Liqueur. Chambord fruit liqueur offers a world of flavours that range from the sweetly acidic raspberry to the rich oak undertones from the cognac oak barrels. It comes in a characteristic round bottle – the Chambord Royale has a crown bottle top – and has a strength of 16.5%. How to drink Chambord

Then sugar and water are added. There must be 300 to 360 g of sugar per liter, and the final alcohol content must reach a minimum of 32%. The document covers a lot of topics that’s I’ve already mentioned (the history, the role of the Zadar region in growing Marasca cherries, highlights of the production), but also gives more explanations on how Maraschino is made: The B52 also counts as one of the most famous and original – its three bands of coffee liqueur, Irish cream and Grand Marnier certainly stand out on the bar counter Pour the rakija, green Chartreuse, maraschino, and lime juice into a shaker filled with ice cubes. Shake well, then strain into a 150 ml / 5 fl oz martini glass or coupe.And that’s all we can say about this,” my hosts tell me. “There are secrets.” Indeed, they’ve been very protective of their fabrication details. How long does the maceration last? What are the other ingredients in Maraschino? In what proportion? What about the herbs in Pelinkovac, the herbal liqueur? Mum’s the word. The other quintessentially French orange liqueur also comes in an unmistakable bottle, although this one’s round. But like Cointreau, it carries a ribbon (red) and wax seal. Grand Marnier also turns out to be more or less contemporary with Cointreau since its recipe was perfected in 1880 in Neauphle-le-Chateau, just outside Paris. The Amarena višnjevac (cherry liqueur). A new product that’s supposed to taste more like raw cherries. The Amarena cherry is a cousin of the Marasca cherry, but here the name of the cultivar is being used just because marketing liked the sound of it. With an alcohol content of only 21%, this is a much milder product targeting a younger generation. No ingredients printed on the bottle.

This tasting is a bit less thorough: I’m only comparing two products, both from Maraska. I’ve already mentioned that Maraska produces several cherry liqueurs in addition to maraschino. Unlike Zadar’s favorite child, they’re meant to deliver straight cherry flavor. Dozens of countries product similar products, but I wanted to gauge the difference between two Maraska offerings specifically: This cherry liqueur is then left to age in oak casks for a minimum duration of three years. On The noseIn Croatia we like to save the best until last and, of course, every great meal needs its sweet ending. In this chapter, I have selected some recipes that my family makes at home and which are close to my heart. An intense cherry fragrance on the palate, with the almond coming through at the end. On The Palate So what’s number two in sales? Vodka, of course! Who needs tradition when one can just mix grain alcohol with tap water?! Like in Russia, Maraska doesn’t distill grain alcohol themselves, they buy it. With around 800,000 liters sold per year (still in 2017) Maraska’s Cosmopolitan vodka is also the second best-selling vodka on the Croatian market behind Badel’s Vigor vodka. Sales grow every year, and Maraska wants to be number one! “Our vodka is pure grain, distilled 7 times,” sings my host from the marketing department. It’s also offered in several flavors: raspberry, peach, mint, mojito, and strong (with an extra dose of grain alcohol for an inimitable bouquet). No cherry. The flavored vodkas are made with natural aromas (for the fruits, typically esters made from condensing the volatiles during the concentration process of juice), so they still have a connection with the fruit or plant with which they’re scented (except for mojito, duh). They tend to sell in very small amounts, their main purpose being to occupy more shelf space with the brand, thereby helping to sell more of the main, unflavored product.