You must have had delicious cherries decorated beautifully on a Cocktail. Cocktails are usually garnished with taste-enriched beautiful cherries. These cherries are either Luxardo Cherries or Brandied Cherries. Both of these are excellent in taste and quality alike.
Luxardo Cherries
Although the store-bought version of Luxardo Cherries is great, homemade Luxardo Cherries serve as the best garnishing for the cocktail. Homemade Luxardo Cherries are made up of Luxardo liqueur. You can also try other spices for your homemade version of Luxardo Cherries.
But what makes the Maraschino Cherry Recipe so unique? The remarkable thing about this recipe is that it allows you to use the liqueur and spices of your choice to make a cocktail according to your taste. If you don’t have Maraschino, you can use brandy or an aged rum instead.
This will give you equally great taste. You can use Cinnamon and Cloves if you don’t like the taste of Nutmeg. They give excellent taste and can be a fantastic gift for your old-fashioned friends and Manhattan lovers.
A perfectly garnished Cocktail looks enchanting and tastes great as well. We ensure the use of the freshest and the best quality ingredients to make our cherries. We always look forward to enhancing our core ingredients to provide you with the best quality product you deserve.
What makes these cherries different from regular cherries?
When you think of Cherries, the regular pinkish-red Maraschino cherries that are readily available in grocery stores pop up in your mind. These Cherries are way different and better than those regular cherries.
Luxardo Cocktail Cherries have a unique taste. Unlike regular cherries, Luxardo Cocktail Cherries are dipped into warm water to induce higher levels of lusciousness. Luxardo Maraschino liqueur gives a unique signature taste to these Luxardo Cherries.
Which Cherries are best for Luxardo?
I’ve always used the regular, sweet-in-taste, pinkish-red cherries that are available at all grocery stores. You can also try sour cherries. I’ve seen many recipes that use sour cherries.
These cherries are absolutely fine to use. But I’ve never used them personally. If you try sour cherries, don’t forget to share your experience with me.
What Luxardo Maraschino actually is?
Luxardo Maraschino is a liqueur made up of ripe Marasca Cherries (a sour cherry), pits, leaves, branches, honey, and some other secret ingredients.
The interesting fact about Luxardo Maraschino is that it provides floral, nutty piney, and flavors while still maintaining its primary taste of cherries.
How can you use Luxardo cherries?
I’m actually a Bourbon lover, so I think they are perfect for old-fashioned. You can also enjoy plopping them into a strong cocktail.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of sugar, granulated
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1 pinch of kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp of nutmeg, ground
- 1 cup of Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
- 1 lb of pitted and stemmed cherries
How to make Luxardo cherries
- Take water in a saucepan. Add sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt in it, and let it simmer. Stir in between to dissolve the sugar properly.
- Add cherries and Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur into the mixture. Stir it to coat the cherries completely. Further, cook for 5 minutes to make the cherries a bit tender.
- Now, turn the flame off and let the cherries cool down. Store these cherries in an airtight container and place them in the fridge.
Notes
- If any of the readers have ever used frozen organic cherries instead of fresh cherries, do let me know if it turned out great. It would be great to use and enjoy the cocktail even if the cherries are not in season or just don’t seem fresh.
- Please also keep in mind that you can either use sweet or sour cherries as per your choice or availability of the cherries.
Classic Old-Fashioned Recipe
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 2 Cherries
- 2 oz. Bourbon
- Club Soda
- 4 Dashes Angostura Bitters
- 1 & ½ Orange Wheels
Add sugar, a cherry, and an orange wheel in a glass with bitters and a splash of Club Soda. Now remove the orange and add bourbon. Add ice cubes, garnish with an orange wheel and Luxardo cherry, and serve.
Good evening!
I love that you’ve created a homemade luxardo cherry recipe! These are my husband and my favorite
Have you by any chance tried to can these so you can make a bunch of have it throughout the year? Or with frozen berries? I live in an area where access to fresh fruit is everywhere in the summertime.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Chloe Picard-Rempel
Hi Chloe,
I’m thrilled to hear that you and your husband enjoy the homemade luxardo cherry recipe! It’s always exciting to find fellow cherry lovers.
In response to your question, you can absolutely can these cherries so you have them year-round. Here’s a basic process you can follow, but always consult a trusted resource for home canning to ensure safety:
• Prepare your jars and lids by sterilizing them in boiling water.
• Prepare the luxardo cherry recipe as usual, but leave a little bit of headspace at the top of each jar.
• Wipe the rims of the jars clean and put the lids on.
• Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
• Allow jars to cool completely, check seals, then store in a cool, dark place.
As for using frozen berries, that could potentially work, but the texture might be a little softer once they’re thawed and canned. I recommend using fresh fruit whenever possible for the best texture and flavor, but it’s certainly worth trying with frozen berries if fresh aren’t readily available.
I hope this helps, and thank you for your comment! Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have more questions. I love hearing from my readers.
Best, Sarah
How long can I keep these in the refrigerator?
Hey Deborah, wile homemade Luxardo cherries can technically last for 2 to 5 years due to the preserving properties of sugar and alcohol, for optimal taste and quality, I would recommend consuming them within 6 months to a year after preparation. Always check for signs of spoilage before consuming.
I’ve used frozen dark sweet cherries for other similar recipes when cherries are not in season, but it is important to thaw, drain, and set rendered juice aside. If you have to rush the thaw I will saute them on low heat for a few minutes with a little red wine or in this case some Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur till partly thawed and set the juice aside.
Thanks for sharing your experience and advice, Sam! Your method with the Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur sounds delightful. Much appreciated!
Just wondering if you’ve had any trouble with the liquid crystallizing? That would be my concern with canning as well. Even the store bought luxardo cherries tend to crystallize especially as you get near the bottom of the jar.
Hi Christy, crystallization in Luxardo cherries can be a pain! To avoid it, make sure the sugar’s fully dissolved when making the syrup, avoid stirring as it cools, and maybe add a touch of corn syrup or lemon juice. If crystals do form, gently reheat the syrup to dissolve them. Hope this helps!
I just made these for the first time, but the syrup wasn’t very thick. What can I do to thicken my next batch? Thank you!