Zadar Maraschino

Maraschino is made from the marasca, a small sour cherry that grows around Zadar, distilled with the crushed stones and leaves and then aged, which gives a clear liqueur with an almond edge rather than the red sweetness the name suggests to people who have only met the cherries in a jar. Dominican monks in Zadar were making it by the sixteenth century; the Luxardo family set up commercial production in 1821 and it became a standard export, appearing on royal and imperial tables across Europe. The Luxardo works were destroyed by bombing in 1943 and the family moved to Italy; production in Zadar continued under the Maraska name.

What you actually see

• A clear liqueur, not a red one - distilled, not steeped.
• Made with stones and leaves - the source of the almond note.
• Commercial from 1821 - and a standard European export.
• A split history after 1943 - the works bombed, the family moved to Italy.

When to go

Year round. A tasting.

Honest expectations

The taste is drier and more almond-like than most people expect from a cherry liqueur. The Luxardo and Maraska products have separate histories after 1943 and are different things. Bar prices in the old town are tourist level.

Nearby

Zadar's Roman forum and Sea Organ are in the old town.