There are a great many liquors in the world. Each of them differs from its counterparts in both recipe and taste. Liquor "Maraschino" (Maraschino) - a gentle cherry drink with a light aroma of almonds, rightfully takes its place of honor among all. In addition, he won worldwide fame.
Liquor "Maraschino". a brief description of
This liquor is a transparent tasty, sweetish alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 32%. It is produced from crushed berries and a seed of maraskin cherry, which gives it exactly that distinctive, beloved flavor of almonds by many. By unique technology, a real Maraschino must be aged (infused) for at least 3 years.
What is a maraschino cherry?
It is also called marasca (marasca) - a regional type of cherry that grows mainly on the Dalmatian coast near Zadar. Today, the variety is also cultivated in the Balkans and in northern Italy. It is from this cherry that the same name liquor is made. Initially, it was made exclusively from this type of berries, but today other varieties are also used. In British, cherry for cocktails is called marasquin.
In the time of Tito, Italians were expelled from these places, and cherries began to be bred in Northern Italy. Maraskino liqueur itself began to be produced there. However, it should be noted that at the same time it was produced in Yugoslavia. Compared to some other varieties, maraschino cherries have the smallest berry sizes and a pungent, bitter aftertaste. From here came its name (from the Italian amaro, from the Latin amarus - “bitter”).
A bit of history
Liquor "Maraschino" takes its history back in the 16th century, and the monks of the Zadar area began to make it. Then it belonged to the Republic of Venice. On a modern world map it is Croatia. Production of Maraschino on an industrial scale started back in 1759 at the initiative of F. Drioli.
And in 1821, another beverage factory was founded, the owner of which was J. Luxardo. Cherry liquor was so popular and popular in the 18th century that it was delivered to many royal tables in Europe. Today, this brand launches products in Padua under the label Luxardo Maraschino.
Beverage production
Making Maraschino is more like brandy production than creating classic liquor. Sweet syrup from sugar is seasoned in the raw materials, and filtered after a long exposure. At the very beginning of the process, maraskin cherry is crushed into a homogeneous mass together with a stone and poured into barrels of Finnish ash. Maraschino must be infused there up to 3 years. Then the resulting liquor is filtered and bottled.
Some recipes
In the culinary traditions of many countries, cherry liqueur is quite actively used for the manufacture of various desserts, ice cream and delicious fruit-based salads.
- For example, it’s quite affordable to make a delicious dessert, which includes cream ice cream and Maraschino as ingredients. We take yolks from 8 eggs, one and a half glasses of sugar, a vanilla stick and a liter of milk. Warm up the whole mass, gently stirring, over low heat. When the mixture begins to thicken, the ice cream must be filtered through a sieve, add a few large tablespoons of cherry liquor and pour into molds. Then we put the ice cream in the freezer, and serve it with the fruit to the table.
- Cocktail Champagne Cobbler. You need Maraschino, Curacao, lemon juice, champagne and half a peach. One portion of each of the liquors (20 ml) in a glass is mixed with lemon juice. About a third of the capacity is approximately filled with ice. Put a chopped peach on top and fill in the intervals with champagne.
- "Maraschino" with rum is also of particular interest to gourmets. We take one part of the cherry liqueur and five parts of Cuban rum, drip a few drops of orange bitter, mix and put the orange zest. Serve with ice or chilled.
In pure form
Maraschino is drunk and clean. It will be correct to use it together with ice in cubes. The original and fresh taste of the drink will appeal to both the fairer sex and men. Maraschino has a unique aroma. Due to the fact that cherries are used together with seeds in the production of the drink, Maraschino has a distinct almond flavor, which is a bit like another famous drink - Amaretto, which is made from almond nuts.
Do-it-yourself maraschino
Of course, in the current difficult economic conditions, not every average consumer can get Maraskino liquor: its price is quite high (in Russia, depending on the manufacturer, it ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 rubles per liter). You can completely try to make the famous drink with your own hands, in the kitchen. Of course, it will not be entirely correct, but it must certainly turn out to be tasty.
We take a pound of cherries, a bunch of cherry leaves, two liters of good vodka, a kilo of sugar, a liter of water. We leave the berries with seeds and chop. We prepare the syrup by adding water, leaves and sugar to the mass (15 minutes on low heat). Filter, add vodka and a pinch of citric acid (or the juice of one lemon). Insist in a dark place. In principle, in a few days, homemade cherry liqueur will be ready. But it’s better to let it stand for 2-3 months. Then filter again and pour into bottles. That's all, now you can taste it!