105 replies to this topic

[donbert]

Personally I don't like Stock too much, but I know it does have it's place in a few cocktails.  I know D&C has all 3 maraschinos and uses stock in one of their house cocktails on purpose.

Personally for me if I have a drink that calls for more than 1/2 oz or greater of Maraschino  I will use Maraska, otherwise I will use Luxardo.  I find any more than 1/2 oz of Luxardo and the drink turns into a Luxardo drink.

John

I too am a Stock detractor but I'm also not a fan of Maraska either. Sure I'll take it over Stock any day but to me Luxardo is THE Maraschino. There's nothing wrong with a cocktail being a Luxardo forward drink and if you find that more than 1/2 an oz is overpowering the obvious answer to me seems to be dial down the amount rather than reach for a different brand of maraschino.

John, do you prefer Maraska over Luxardo in a Last Word or Final Ward?

[edit for clarification]For those not familiar with the Last Word or Final Ward. This drink is equal parts Gin:Marashino:Chartreuse:Lime or Rye:Marashino:Chartreuse:Lemon respectively. Traditionally the recipe is 3/4oz each but since it's equal parts it can be scaled down to 1/2oz each or up to 1oz each. Therefore it really is a question of if Maraska or Luxardo balances better against the citrus/spirit/Chartreuse when all things are equal.[/clarification]

Edited by donbert, 14 June 2007 - 12:43 PM.

[slkinsey]

Personally for me if I have a drink that calls for more than 1/2 oz or greater of Maraschino  I will use Maraska, otherwise I will use Luxardo.  I find any more than 1/2 oz of Luxardo and the drink turns into a Luxardo drink.

Yea, I'm with you on that one (not that I have too many drinks with more than a half-ounce of maraschino). Although sometimes I might be tempted to just dial back the Luxardo a little bit to balance the drink. On the other hand, Maraska maraschino is a very good-quality product, albeit less assertive and funky than Luxardo maraschino, so there's no reason not to use it -- especially if dialing back the Luxardo means that you have to add sweetness from another source (e.g., simple) to balance against a sour component.

I guess one might compare the difference to, say, the difference between Wild Turkey and Maker's Mark. Both are high quality, distinctive products, but Wild Turkey is much more assertive. Different drinks would lend themselves to different choices between these two. Stock, on the other hand, compares to an okay-quality blended whiskey. Yea, there are a few cocktails where the blended whiskey might be just the thing you need. But I wouldn't choose to stock just the blended whiskey because it was "easier-mixing." If I could only choose one and was wanted one that was broadly compatible in a wide variety of cocktails, I guess I'd probably choose Maker's. This same reasoning might lead me to stock Maraska as my only maraschino, but never Stock.


Edited to add: Don, I'm with you in thinking that Luxardo is THE maraschino (although fwiw, I have an extremely knowledgable friend that makes the same argument in favor of Maraska). I probably go through 4 bottles of Luxardo for every 1 of Maraska.

Edited by slkinsey, 14 June 2007 - 12:43 PM.

[eje]

Personally I don't like Stock too much, but I know it does have it's place in a few cocktails.  I know D&C has all 3 maraschinos and uses stock in one of their house cocktails on purpose.

Personally for me if I have a drink that calls for more than 1/2 oz or greater of Maraschino  I will use Maraska, otherwise I will use Luxardo.  I find any more than 1/2 oz of Luxardo and the drink turns into a Luxardo drink.

John

Both are the Maraska and Stock are pretty uncommon out here, so I'll have to take your word for it. I think I've really only ever seen the Maraska in bars, and I don't think I've ever seen the Stock.

But, yeah, you do have to be careful not to overdo with the Luxardo.

Katie, your right, I forgot about Sambuca until you mentioned it. I could see more liqueurs being sold as digestivs in bars attached to restaurants. But, does that happen in bars not associated with restaurants? I'm more curious than anything else.

[johnder]

Personally I don't like Stock too much, but I know it does have it's place in a few cocktails.  I know D&C has all 3 maraschinos and uses stock in one of their house cocktails on purpose.

Personally for me if I have a drink that calls for more than 1/2 oz or greater of Maraschino  I will use Maraska, otherwise I will use Luxardo.  I find any more than 1/2 oz of Luxardo and the drink turns into a Luxardo drink.

John

I too am a Stock detractor but I'm also not a fan of Maraska either. Sure I'll take it over Stock any day but to me Luxardo is THE Maraschino. There's nothing wrong with a cocktail being a Luxardo forward drink and if you find that more than 1/2 an oz is overpowering the obvious answer to me seems to be dial down the amount rather than reach for a different brand of maraschino.

John, do you prefer Maraska over Luxardo in a Last Word or Final Ward?

[edit for clarification]For those not familiar with the Last Word or Final Ward. This drink is equal parts Gin:Marashino:Chartreuse:Lime or Rye:Marashino:Chartreuse:Lemon respectively. Traditionally the recipe is 3/4oz each but since it's equal parts it can be scaled down to 1/2oz each or up to 1oz each. Therefore it really is a question of if Maraska or Luxardo balances better against the citrus/spirit/Chartreuse when all things are equal.[/clarification]

Hmm that is an interesting question. I have had both the Last Word with Maraska and Luxardo, but unfortunately don't have enough memory to recall which I like better. This is an odd one because it is equal parts. I think some further research is required.

[slkinsey]

Also for clarification: I assume that when John says "more than a half-ounce of maraschino" we're speaking of a standard "cocktailian sized" 3-ounce drink.

[Nathan]

so while I was having a Last Word made at Milk & Honey last night I noticed that they were using Stock Maraschino.  I asked if they preferred it to Luxardo and Maraskova.  they stated that Luxardo was too difficult to balance in cocktails...too strong and that it was better sipped on its own.

this seems to fly against CW but I have noticed that when I make an Aviation at home with Luxardo I use less of it than when I used Stock...alternatively, it works well when tempered with violette liqueur.

thoughts?

I gotta echo slkinsey's sentiments.

Purposely picking a brand because it is easier to mix? Instead of what? Training your staff to use it properly? I call "Bullshit". Likely, it's a pour cost issue.

I also think it's a bit odd to say that Luxardo Maraschino is better sipped on its own.

Aside from Jagermeister, do bars get any calls for straight liqueurs?

I agree that answer smacks of horsecrap. Sounds totally like a cost issue to me. Don't know what the price differential is in NYC, but I bet it's significant enough to make them switch. That's also a lot easier than revamping the cocktail menu ever so slightly.

I can't imagine sipping Luxardo Maraschino on it's own. That's just a bizarre suggestion. But I certainly get requests for liqueurs on their own - generally after dinner. Sambuca white and black, Amaretto, Grand Marnier, Kahlua or Tia Maria all go with coffee or by themselves at the end of a nice meal.

this is Milk & Honey, there is no menu.

my first thought (and nagging inclination) was that it was a cost issue...but at $15 a drink and with their (presumably relatively low) rent...that's hard to believe.

as donbert noted, it isn't really a "mixing" staff/training issue...the Last Word has equal parts and I haven't noticed a drop in the M&H staff quality (East Side Company Bar and Little Branch are a different matter)...its strange.

[notahumanissue]

Also, it's entirely possible that you caught M&H on a night when they ran out of Luxardo. I know, it seems like a silly oversight, but they could have just grabbed a backup bottle of Stock and went with it... It is the kind of place that would try and own that mistake, pumping up the virtues of Stock when they really didn't have a choice.

As someone who works in the same neighborhood, I've been stupid enough on a couple occasions to not order a bottle and gone running around to every bar/store around, only to find that the closest maraschino is at Astor -- not too helpful at 11:00pm when you go rummaging through the liqour room. AND i shot myself in the foot with a menu heavy on the stuff...lame.

So, you know, it's possible...

[KatieLoeb]

Katie, your right, I forgot about Sambuca until you mentioned it. I could see more liqueurs being sold as digestivs in bars attached to restaurants. But, does that happen in bars not associated with restaurants? I'm more curious than anything else.

I do work in a place that is primarily a restaurant with a nice and well stocked small bar. We had a couple come in tonight that joined us for dinner (and had a couple of cocktails at the bar before their meal) and then left to attend the theater (my restaurant is pretty convenient to most of the theaters in Philly) and then stopped back in at the end of the evening for a nightcap just as I was getting ready to close up. The gentleman ordered a B&B. I thought of this thread as I poured it for him...

As a more specific answer to your question I've certainly been known to order an Amaretto as a nightcap in one of my favorite local bars from time to time. And this is a place that's mostly a bar (great draught beer, good wines by the glass and fully stocked liquor selection) that happens to have a really good chef and good food. This particular bar carries the Luxardo Amaretto which is my personal favorite. So yeah - folks will order a liqueur in a regular bar sometimes. Sometimes even not directly after a meal in the same place.

[mickblueeyes]

Mmmmm. . . Luxardo Amaretto is dandy! I have to weigh in as a fan of all Luxardo liqueurs and bitters. Good stuff! Definitely a fan of their Maraschino.

I believe something was mentioned about their cherry orchards earlier in the post. There specialty has always been cherries and they own a 12,000 acre of cherry orchard, which is the largest cherry orchard in the world, if I remember correctly.

[foodhunter]

I've seen discussions about Maraska Maraschino in this thread. I saw a bottle of Maraska Cherry Liqueur at a store last weekend. Is this it, or should I specifically be looking for a bottle labeled Marschino Liqueur?

[Alchemist]

Marska is a brand name. It is good stuff milder than the Lux, which is both good , and bad. you need a full .75oz p/drink, so it brings the wash line to right where you need it.

[mkayahara]

Judging from their website (http://www.maraska.hr/), they make a Maraschino, a cherry brandy and a product called "Cherrica" that is described as a "piquant dessert wine." It does appear that the straw wrapper on the bottle is unique to the Maraschino, though, so if it has that, you're probably safe.

[slkinsey]

If it's maraschino, the liquid should be clear. Click here to see Maraska's packaging for their maraschino.

[bostonapothecary]

If it's maraschino, the liquid should be clear.  Click here to see Maraska's packaging for their maraschino.

that is interesting i never knew there was a brand called marasca.... i always associated it with particular type of cherry flavor....

a great liqueur made of grapes but with the flavor of marasca is elisir gambrinus.... it is the specialty of the gambrinus restaurant. which i think is one of the oldest in the world.... i think the consultant wine maker is sergio zenato (the amarone maker)

they take this weed grape ribasso which is boring because it is watery and only has the one flavor note.... he reduces it and adds cane sugar.... then fortifies it with grappa and ages it in barriques....

one unlikely thing goes in but alot comes out....

i've used his technique before to make other liqueurs.... thinking about it is inspiring me to make some sweet vermouth....

red wine (rose?) & cherries, plums, apricots then reduced like zenato's.... gentian, worm wood, coffee.... 25 brix with cane sugar.... bring it up to 17% with grappa....

[mbrowley]

Two recipes for ersatz maraschino popped on my radar this week as I compiled notes on how I was going to enhooch five pounds of sour cherries. Haven't tried either and they're nothing you'd confuse with Luxardo's product, but for fun here are


Imitation Maraschino (1890's-1900's)

Stone 12 lb. of Morella [sic] cherries, bruise the fruit and the kernels, and put them into a large jar with two gallons of pure rectified spirits of wine, and nine pounds of crushed sugar candy. Bruise five pounds of fresh clean peach leaves, 6 oz of white rose petals, and 2 oz each of orange flower and white jessamine flowers in a mortar and add them to the other ingredients. Cork the jar tightly and infuse for 6 weeks, stirring occasionally, then strain through filtering-paper and store in airtight bottles.

M.E. Steedman (nd), Home-Made Beverages and American Drinks (The Food and Cookery Publishing Agency, London)


Marasquin

Avec 1 kg de cerises sèches, 1 litre d’eau de vie, 1 gousse de vanille, 300 grammes de miel, 1/2 litre d'eau et 200 grammes de sucre. On fair sécher les cerises en plein soleil pour les écraser avec leur noyau. On ajoute la vanille, le tout recouvert avec l'eau de vie pour une macération de 2 mois. Filtrer et ajouter le mélange miel et sirop de sucre. Bien mélanger, mettre en bouteilles et laisser viellier au frais.

Gilbert Fabiani (2000) Élixirs & Boissons Retrouvés (Editions Équinoxe, Barbentane)

Edited by mbrowley, 19 July 2007 - 11:35 AM.

[FrogPrincesse]

Resurrecting another ancient thread...

Last weekend I tried the Adderley cocktail (Sam Ross): rye, lemon juice, maraschino, orange bitters. It's quite heavy on the maraschino (3/4 oz!). As a result it is a little overwhelming at first, and syrupy. After a few tastes, the rye comes through though. I liked it in the end. I would like to try it again with a rye that is a little more rough around the edges to balance the sweetness of the maraschino.