Object        : Bottle
Culture       : Croatia
Country      : Italy
Date           : [20th Century]
Dimensions : H : 31in. X  W 6in.
Collection   : B.L.A.S.T. Museum

Maraschino liqueur, is a distinctive cherry liqueur. It’s flavor comes from Marasca cherries.Their crushed pits and honey give an almond-like flavor to Maraschino cherries.

Historically, Marasca cherries are grown in the Croaition region of Zadar. At the beginning of the 16th century monks of the apothecaries of the Dominican monastery at Zara (Zadar – Croatia) created the recipe for this liqueur. Believed to have medicinal powers it became the drink of choice by many kings and privileged men.

The goal of a man named Ernest Wiegand in aiding cherry farmers with how to preserve their Queen Anne cherries in an alcohol-free way. In America the controversy of Prohibition arose, and with the ban of alcohol, so went the the liquor soaked cherries. Wiegand devised a process of soaking the fruit in a brine with calcium salts to compete in a growing maraschino market. Doing so he created the modern maraschino cherry.

Today Maraschino liqueur is used to create many cock tales and the cherries are famous garnishes.

This decanter is still being researched by B.L.A.S.T. Museum Investigators and information will be  updated soon.