Cocktails with Maraschino liqueur
Maraschino liqueur is a clear cherry liqueur distilled from Marasca cherries and their crushed pits, rather than macerated in spirit like most cherry liqueurs.
ABV32%Both Luxardo and Maraska, the two main producers, bottle at exactly that strength.
Substitutes for Maraschino liqueur
Nearest in flavor, but a dry and stronger distillate. Use a little less than the measure, adding about a barspoon of 2:1 sugar syrup for every 15 ml of kirsch to make up for the missing sweetness.
Cherry liqueur (such as Cherry Heering)
Can go in at the same amount. It gives a cherry core with a light almond note, but colors the drink red. Such liqueurs are also weaker (around 24 % against 32 % for maraschino), so the drink comes out a little lighter.
Syrup from a jar of cocktail cherries
Absolutely not. The syrup from the jar gives the drink only cloying sweetness and dye, not the complex flavor of the liqueur. The name is all those cherries share with maraschino.
