The Italian Maraschino Cherry was an elegant garnish

Made from little more than cherries and maraschino liqueur, the traditional maraschino (mar-a-SKEE-no) cherry was pure, had depth of flavor, and sat elegantly in the glass. However, within a few decades of its arrival in this country, Americans divorced themselves from traditional preserving methods perfected over hundreds of years. 1950’s industrialization gave birth to the American maraschino (mar-a- SHEE-no) cherry, a bright red, cloyingly sweet garnish that attempted to standardize the appearance and flavor of cherries of variable quality. Often bleached, dyed, and chemically hardened, these cherries have been abandoned by the craft cocktail movement.

NO OTHER PRESERVED CHERRY CAN REPLACE A TRUE MARASCHINO CHERRY

Although plenty of challengers have tried to take the place of the dethroned original, none has succeeded. Sure, some preserved cherries are preferable to the American maraschino cherry, but, most are still too sweet tasting more like candy than fruit post-processing.

Orasella elevates the abandoned
Maraschino cherry and brings it back to its roots. 

We believe maraschino cherries should be restored to a place of honor. They should, once again, be made with recognizable fruit and flavored by liqueur. 

Made and produced in Washington – the nation’s top sweet cherry producer – we use local cherries that are harvested, prepared, and preserved by hand. Other ingredients are carefully selected and balanced to produce a sophisticated garnish worthy of its heritage.