Luxardo Maraschino is an Italian cherry liqueur — a dry, distilled spirit drawn from marasca cherries — and it is poured at Grappa in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood. Made by the Luxardo family from their own sour cherries, it is the benchmark expression of maraschino. We list it as an elegant after-dinner sip and a treasured cocktail ingredient, its complex cherry-and-almond character a fitting close to a meal by candlelight.
About the Producer
The Luxardo story begins in 1821, when Girolamo Luxardo founded the distillery in Zara, on the Dalmatian coast, the city where maraschino was first devised. After the destruction of the Second World War, the family rebuilt in Torreglia, in the hills of Italy’s Veneto region, carrying cuttings of their cherished marasca cherry with them. Several generations of Luxardos still produce the liqueur there today, and the family’s marasca cherry remains the heart of the house.
Style & Production
Luxardo Maraschino follows a recipe dating to 1821 and takes about four years to make. The leaves, pits, stems and skins of the house marasca cherries are infused in larchwood vats for some three years, then distilled in small copper pot stills and aged in Finnish ash wood before sugar and water are added prior to bottling. Bottled at 32% alcohol, it is a dry, intensely aromatic liqueur rather than a sweet cherry cordial.
Tasting Notes
The aroma is distinctive and persistent — marasca cherry with a marzipan-like nuttiness and a hint of rosewater. The palate is dry and complex, with bittersweet cherry, almond and a delicate floral note. The finish is long and clean, the cherry-and-stone-fruit character lingering elegantly.
What to Pair It With
Its bittersweet cherry depth is lovely with dessert. Serve it alongside Flourless Chocolate Cake, with a scoop of Gelato/Sorbet, or beside a Charcuterie Board. See the full dine-in menu for more pairings.
How It’s Served at Grappa
Luxardo Maraschino is poured at $12, served neat, over ice, or in a cocktail.
FAQ
Where is it from?
Luxardo Maraschino is made by the Luxardo family in Torreglia, in the Veneto region of Italy, from their own marasca cherries.
What does it taste like?
Marasca cherry with a marzipan-like nuttiness and a hint of rosewater on the nose, a dry and complex palate of bittersweet cherry and almond, and a long, clean finish.
Is it sweet?
It is far drier than a typical cherry cordial. Distilled from the whole marasca cherry and aged, it is intensely aromatic and only lightly sweetened, more spirit than syrup.
When you’re ready, book a table, explore the cocktail & spirits list, and browse the dine-in menu.
