🥃 Maraschino

Maraschino (also marrasquino, maraskino) is a colourless liqueur whose flavour comes mainly from marasca cherry distillate or from macerating cherries or their parts in alcohol. In the EU it is category 37 of Regulation (EU) 2019/787: at least 24% vol. and 250 g/l of sugar, expressed as invert sugar.

The Regulation expressly forbids colouring maraschino: the drink must stay colourless. The alcohol for maceration is of agricultural origin or distillate of marasca itself, and the same flavouring rules apply as for other liqueurs. In sugar content maraschino is close to the "crème de…" group (from 250 g/l), but it is a separate category with a higher minimum strength: 24% against 15%.

In the EU register maraschino has the geographical indication "Zadarski maraschino", from Zadar in Croatia, registered on 24 April 2012. The long link between the liqueur and this city is shown, among other things, by a 19th-century engraved label "Maraschino Soprafino … in Zara" from the Wellcome collection: Zara is the Italian name of Zadar.

Maraschino is one of several liqueurs to which the EU has given separate categories, alongside nocino, sloe gin and sambuca. The same minimums, 24% vol. and 250 g/l of sugar, apply on the UK market.

Why it matters to you. Colourlessness is a mandatory feature of the liqueur. Preserved cocktail cherries with that name are not a spirit drink and do not fall under category 37. On the bottle, look for the category name and a strength of at least 24% vol.; "Zadarski maraschino" guarantees origin from Zadar. WHO: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.