Luxardo cherries: what they are and where to buy

Luxardo cherries are dark, syrup-soaked maraschino cherries that go into a Manhattan, an Old Fashioned or a glass of bourbon on the rocks. CBC Liquors on Littleton Rd in Westford carries the Luxardo Cherries Jar, and you can pick it up, have it delivered or have it shipped.

What are Luxardo cherries?

Luxardo cherries are maraschino cherries made with marasca cherries and preserved in a thick, dark syrup. They are the opposite of the neon red cherry that comes on top of a sundae. The color is a deep burgundy, almost black, the fruit is firm with a little chew, and the flavor is cherry with a faint almond-like bitterness rather than pure sugar.

The maker behind them is Luxardo, and you can see everything we carry from them on the Luxardo brand page. That page also shows the bottles that sit alongside the cherries, because the same distillery is better known for its maraschino liqueur.

If you want the cherries themselves, go straight to the Luxardo Cherries Jar. It is one jar, and it is meant to be used a cherry at a time.

How are they different from the cherries in a supermarket jar?

The bright red cherries most people grew up with are usually bleached, dyed and sweetened until they taste mostly of sugar and almond flavoring. They sit on top of a drink and add color.

Luxardo cherries are the other approach. The fruit keeps its natural dark color, the syrup is cherry-flavored rather than candy-flavored, and the cherry holds up in a drink instead of going soft and pink. In a spirit-forward cocktail, that matters. A bright red cherry can sweeten and flatten a drink. A dark one adds a small, rich fruit note that sits well beside whiskey.

They also keep their shape when you drop one into a glass and leave it there while you drink, which is exactly what you want from a garnish you plan to eat at the end.

Which cocktails call for a Luxardo cherry?

The classic answer is the Manhattan: whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters, stirred over ice, strained into a chilled glass, with one dark cherry dropped in. It works with rye, which is traditional, and it works with bourbon, which gives a rounder, slightly sweeter drink. If you want to try rye, there is a rye whiskey section to browse.

The Old Fashioned is the second obvious home. Sugar, bitters and whiskey over a large cube, an orange peel, and a cherry at the bottom. Some people muddle the cherry lightly, and some prefer to leave it whole and eat it last. Either is fine.

Beyond those two, a cherry belongs in a Whiskey Sour, a Martinez, a Rob Roy and a Tom Collins. You can also simply put one in a glass of sparkling wine or drop one into a neat pour of bourbon. A single cherry in a short glass is a small touch that makes an ordinary evening drink feel finished.

What bourbon works best with them?

Bourbon is made from at least 51 percent corn and aged in new charred oak, which gives it the vanilla, caramel and baked-fruit notes that a cherry picks up on. That is why the pairing feels natural: the fruit echoes what is already in the glass.

For an Old Fashioned or a bourbon Manhattan, a bourbon with a bit of rye in the grain mix gives the drink some spice to stand against the sweetness of the cherry and the vermouth. A wheated bourbon, where wheat replaces rye as the secondary grain, tastes softer and works well if you prefer a gentler drink.

When you are ready to choose, the bourbon page lists what we have on the shelves. If you are building a small home bar, one bourbon, one rye, a bottle of sweet vermouth, bitters and a jar of cherries covers most of the classic whiskey cocktails.

What else does Luxardo make that goes with the cherries?

The most useful companion is the Luxardo Maraschino Liquer. It is a clear, cherry-pit liqueur, not sweet like cherry brandy, with a dry, nutty, floral character. It is the ingredient behind the Aviation and the Hemingway Daiquiri, and a small measure goes into the Last Word. If you like gin, the Aviation is a good place to start.

If you want something lighter to serve before dinner, the Luxardo Bianco Spritz is an easy bottle to keep cold. Serve it over ice with sparkling wine or soda, in the Italian aperitivo style.

For after a meal, the Luxardo Limoncello is a lemon liqueur that is traditionally served very cold in small glasses. It is a different mood from the cherries, but it comes from the same maker and shares the same shelf of Italian-style liqueurs. You can browse more in the liqueur section.

How do you store a jar once you open it?

Keep the jar closed and in the refrigerator once it is open, with the cherries submerged in their syrup. The syrup is what preserves them, so do not pour it out. Use a clean fork or spoon each time rather than your fingers, which keeps the jar in good shape for longer.

If the level of syrup drops below the fruit, you can top it up with a little of the same type of syrup, but most people finish a jar well before that matters.

Unopened, a jar can sit in a cool cupboard until you need it, which makes it a practical thing to keep on hand for guests or to put into a gift basket alongside a bottle.

What can you do with the leftover syrup?

Do not throw away the dark syrup at the bottom of the jar. A small spoonful in an Old Fashioned replaces the sugar cube and adds a cherry note that plain sugar cannot. A bar spoon in a Manhattan rounds off a sharp rye.

You can also stir a little into sparkling water for a non-alcoholic drink, pour it over vanilla ice cream, or spoon it over plain yogurt or a slice of cake. Keep the quantities small, because the syrup is concentrated and sweet.

If you are mixing for a group, line up a few glasses, add the syrup first, then the whiskey and bitters, and stir each one with ice. Pour for guests who are old enough to be drinking, and keep the pace relaxed.

How do you get a jar from CBC Liquors in Westford?

The shop is at 142 Littleton Rd, Westford, MA 01886. We are open Sunday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Pickup runs on the same hours.

If you would rather not drive over, we also offer delivery and shipping. Delivery hours are Sunday 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM, Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 9:30 PM. Our delivery areas page lists the towns we serve, including Chelmsford, Acton and Lowell.

CBC Liquors has a 4.7 out of 5 rating from 339 Google reviews, and the shop stocks 4,624 products across 1,893 brands. That means the cherries, the bourbon, the vermouth-friendly mixers in the mixers section and the rest of a cocktail can usually go into one order.