Luxardo: Maraschino Made by One Family Since 1821

The tall green bottle with a red cap and straw hand-plaited around the outside is easy to spot on a bar shelf. Luxardo Maraschino Originale is an internationally loved liqueur and a staple of countless classic cocktails. Luxardo is also one of the few European spirit companies still owned by the founding family.

A tradition of family

A consular representative of the Kingdom of Sardinia, Girolamo Luxardo moved to Zara, Dalmatia (present-day Croatia), with his family in 1817. His wife, Maria Canevari, quickly took an interest in perfecting the local liqueur "Rosolio Maraschino," produced since medieval times. In 1821 Girolamo founded the Luxardo distillery and spent eight years perfecting the recipe. The Emperor of Austria granted him a "Privilege," confirming the superior quality of the product, and popularity grew at home and abroad. In 1913 Michelangelo, the third generation, built a modern distillery to produce more Maraschino Originale.

At the end of World War I, Zara was incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy. World War II then severely hampered industry, and bombings in 1943 and 1944 almost completely destroyed the city and the distillery. Many family members did not survive. The rest left everything behind and escaped to Italy.

In 1947 Giorgio, the last surviving brother, worked with fifth-generation Nicolò III to rebuild the distillery in Torreglia, in the Veneto region. Today three generations work together to continue Girolamo's legacy. The sixth generation invested in the distillery to stay at the forefront of innovation, and the seventh has joined the ranks.

Marasca cherries into maraschino liqueur

Maraschino Originale still follows the methods Girolamo set in place. It comes from marasca cherries, originally grown only in Almissa, south of Spalato. When the distillery was re-founded, the family needed to expand marasca production to the peninsula. The calcareous deposits of the eastern Po Valley resemble the limestone Alps stretching across southern Dalmatia, which makes it an ideal home for the cherry. Giorgio Luxardo and Professor Morettini of the University of Florence selected a unique variety. Small and rich in juice, "Marasca Luxardo" is now cultivated with the company's oversight in orchards across northeastern Italy.

From harvest to bottle

1. The cherries are harvested at the beginning of every summer.
2. The cherries, plus some leaves and branches, infuse in an alcoholic solution in larch-wood vats for up to three years.
3. The infused liquid and solids are distilled in traditional copper pot stills, and the heart is separated from the heads and tails.
4. The heart matures in ash-wood vats.
5. Simple syrup (water and sugar) is added until the ABV is lowered to 32%.

How to enjoy it

Clear in color, Maraschino Originale is smooth with a sharp finish and notes of roasted nuts, dark chocolate, vanilla and orange marmalade. Enjoy it in a cocktail, neat after dinner or poured over fruit and ice cream. Also explore Luxardo's other liqueurs and distillates, including Sangue Morlacco Cherry Liqueur, Bitter Bianco, Amaro Abano and Amaretto di Saschira, plus the Maraschino Cherries.

Content is intended for readers aged 21+ only.