Buying Maraschino Liqueur in Pennsylvania

[lancastermike]

Admin: Split from the discussion on maraschino liqueur in the Fine Spirits and Cocktails forum.

While visiting my local PLCB store on Sunday to wine shop, I asked the manger if he could special order maraschino liqueur as I knew they did not stock it. I was flummoxed to hear him reply that he had just got some transferred from another store at the request of another customer and it was in the cordial section. I hurried back and discovered 3 bottles of Luxardo. I grabbed one like a drunk reaching for booze[Note to self: Work on anaolgy choices.]

We went home and fired up an Aviation or two. Everything you guys say about it is true. This is a wonderful cocktail. The Luxardo I also sipped on it's own and the taste is hard to describe. A litte bitter, followed by some sweetness. As an old borboun drinker I am waiting to try some of the suggestions above for borboun and Luxardo cocktails. This is good stuff, and thanks to all for this thread for pushing to look for it.

[KatieLoeb]

While visiting my local PLCB store on Sunday to wine shop, I asked the manger if he could special order maraschino liqueur as I knew they did not stock it.  I was flummoxed to hear him reply that he had just got some transferred from another store at the request of another customer and it was in the cordial section.  I hurried back and discovered 3 bottles of Luxardo.  I grabbed one like a drunk reaching for booze[Note to self: Work on anaolgy choices.]

    We went home and fired up an  Aviation or two.  Everything  you guys say about it is true.  This is a wonderful cocktail.  The Luxardo I also sipped  on it's own and the taste is hard to describe.  A litte bitter, followed by some sweetness. As an old borboun drinker I am waiting to try some of the suggestions above for borboun and Luxardo cocktails. This is good stuff, and thanks to all for this thread for pushing to look for it.

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Apparently there's ONE bottle of Luxardo Maraschino in all of Philadelphia county that isn't SLO. I'm going to try and snag it so I can try some of these fabulous cocktail ideas.

Bourbon and Maraschino! YUM!

[lancastermike]

I hope you can find it Katie. My asking the guy for it just after he got it is one of those priceless moments. It does go wonderfuly with bourbon. I know you will like it.

[KatieLoeb]

OK - so I've gone back and read through the thread and have just a couple of questions. Being that I live in PA and that Mike and mrbigjas snapped up the last bottles of Luxardo known to man that don't require special ordering my choices are thus. I can drive to Marlton, NJ and pay about $14 for a bottle of Stock from Canal's Discount or I can drive to Bryn Mawr and buy a bottle of Maraska Wishniak for about $15 from the PLCB. If these were my only two choices am I driving east to NJ or west to the Main Line?

I'm also going to make a few phone calls and see if I can determine which vendor represents Luxardo in PA and see if I can weasel a sample out of them "for the restuarant". Heck, they can drop it off to me at lunchtime and I'll take it home and play with it. Some of my best "mad science" starts with a little farshlugginer messing around at home and then ends up on the cocktails list. My latest tea infused cachaca thingie might seriously end up as a sour or a caipirina alternative on the cocktails menu at Amada. Who knows what I could do with some Maraschino? I certainly know I'll be taking some of these recipes for a test drive.

[mrbigjas]

katie, that's just crazy. i hadn't realized that this thread wasn't updated in so long--for some reason, i don't know why, i looked and i coulda sworn i saw a couple bottles at either 19th or 12th & chestnut, not that long ago.

it used to be on the PALCB website as a specialty item; now it's not only SLO, but it's $27.99--it was $24.99 when i bought this bottle not six months ago. i recommend posting on that thread i started for bugging deirdre about LCB questions; see if she can't hook it up. if people are buying it...

until then, i will be happy to hook you up with enough of it to experiment if you can't find it. it's powerful stuff, like bitters--just a dash or two too much and your drink is ... not sweet, but syrupy. not, like, sour, but ... it's hard to describe. it'll kick most other booze's ass, as far as strength of flavor.

really i have to say that in the last six months since i got it, i've gradually become more and more interested in it. and i can't say i've had anything quite like it. and i want to find other things like it in the world, because it's unique and interesting.

and while i like the aviation just fine, the fancy-free really could be the perfect cocktail, in my book. savory/sweet from the bourbon. orange and angostura bitters do... that thing they do. combine that with the weird maraschino thing... i mean, it's a drink that, like a good italian hoagie, is more than the sum of its parts.

pm or email me if you want some for experimentation till you get a bottle of your own.

[KatieLoeb]

katie, that's just crazy.  i hadn't realized that this thread wasn't updated in so long--for some reason, i don't know why, i looked and i coulda sworn i saw a couple bottles at either 19th or 12th & chestnut, not that long ago. 

it used to be on the PALCB website as a specialty item; now it's not only SLO, but it's $27.99--it was $24.99 when i bought this bottle not six months ago. i recommend posting on that thread i started for bugging deirdre about LCB questions; see if she can't hook it up. if people are buying it...

until then, i will be happy to hook you up with enough of it to experiment if you can't find it.  it's powerful stuff, like bitters--just a dash or two too much and your drink is ... not sweet, but syrupy.  not, like, sour, but ... it's hard to describe. it'll kick most other booze's ass, as far as strength of flavor.

really i have to say that in the last six months since i got it, i've gradually become more and more interested in it.  and i can't say i've had anything quite like it.  and i want to find other things like it in the world, because it's unique and interesting.

and while i like the aviation just fine, the fancy-free really could be the perfect cocktail, in my book.  savory/sweet from the bourbon.  orange and angostura bitters do... that thing they do.  combine that with the weird maraschino thing... i mean, it's a drink that, like a good italian hoagie, is more than the sum of its parts.

pm or email me if you want some for experimentation till you get a bottle of your own.

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Thanks dude! That's a generous offer that I might take you up on, but let me see if I can find a bottle first. If you're correct and the website inventory is off (which if there's only a bottle or two is entirely possible) then let me see if Peggy or Cory can hook me up with that last dusty bottle no one else has noticed yet. And of course I can try flex some mojo with the purveyor when I find out which company reps Luxardo. I'm undoubtedly going to be in Jersey Wednesday to make a surgical strike at Moore Bros. for the StudioKitchen extravaganza Thursday. I'll poke around some of the smaller non-chain liquor stores and see if someone has a dusty bottle on their shelf whilst I'm on that side of the bridge. There's a decent liquor store (Kress Fine Wine & Spirits) that I think is a good candidate to carry something like this.

[lancastermike]

Katie,

As I said in the other thread when we were at the store in the Plymouth center between the Ikea and Conshohoken they has 6 bottles of Luxardo on the shelf. That was before Christmas, however. At the time the inventory showed it in better supply in the western part of the state. I guess there may be a bottle floating around some store. This is bad news to me as I love this stuff. I guess I will have to SLO it. I have had mixed results with SLO's so I hope the Luxardo is alt least obtainable through SLO. I tried to SLO Peychaurd's bitters and they could not get it anymore. They did get me Parfait Amour.

This stuff is worth the hunt so I hope you can get some. Let us know your results, please

[KatieLoeb]

Katie,

As I said in the other thread when we were at the store in the Plymouth center between the Ikea and Conshohoken they has 6 bottles of Luxardo on the shelf.  That was before Christmas, however. At the time the inventory showed it in better supply in the western part of the state.  I guess there may be a bottle floating around some store.  This is bad news to me as I love this stuff.  I guess I will have to SLO it.  I have had mixed results with SLO's so I hope the Luxardo is alt least obtainable through SLO.  I tried to SLO Peychaurd's bitters and they could not get it anymore.  They did get me Parfait Amour. 

This stuff is worth the hunt so I hope you can get some.  Let us know your results, please

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Thanks Mike. I'll try call there just out of curiosity and see if the inventory has dipped below where the computer can accurately track it anymore. If there's any left there I'll give you a heads up - after I put a bottle on hold with my name on it!

On a separate note I spoke to the purveyor that carries it in PA and he's going to stop by the restaurant tomorrow with a sample for me, so I'll at least have a little to play with for now.

[KatieLoeb]

An update - the store you suggested said they shipped out their very last bottle of Luxardo to "another part of the state" several weeks ago. In fact the request was for two bottles, but by the time they got it there was only one left.

My understanding is that the Luxardo Amaretto is also top notch. Much more bitter almond and less sweet and sticky than DiSaronno. I'm hoping my purveyor has both in his bag of tricks so I can taste that too.

[lostmyshape]

anyone tried to SLO anything? i want to get some luxardo and laird's bonded (love to get parfait amour, but it's not listed as a SLO). wondered what the experience is like. if it's really slow (no pun intended), i might order a couple bottles of each. thanks!

[Bobby 2 Shakes]

If you need a cherry fix, there's always Peter Heering, a black cherry liqueur AKA Cherry Heering. It tastes as if they took the complex aromas of unsmoked black cherry pipe tobacco, took out all traces of harshness and distilled them into a liqueur. I asked at the Narberth state store before Xmas, and they said I just missed the last bottle. I keep forgetting to return there, even though they're right across from Le Petit Mitron, my favorite bakery.

One of my most vivid taste memories was going to my friend's house on a hot summer night and being served a glass of amaretto on the rocks with lemon juice and peel. Some time later I bought some Amaretto and recreated the experience. I made another and added some Heering.

Even the air tasted better after that. The problem since then has been getting my hands on the elusive Cherry Heering.

[KatieLoeb]

If you need a cherry fix, there's always Peter Heering, a black cherry liqueur AKA Cherry Heering. It tastes as if they took the complex aromas of unsmoked black cherry pipe tobacco, took out all traces of harshness and distilled them into a liqueur.  I asked at the Narberth state store before Xmas, and they said I just missed the last bottle. I keep forgetting to return there, even though they're right across from Le Petit Mitron, my favorite bakery.

   One of my most vivid taste memories was going to my friend's house on a hot summer night and being served a glass of amaretto on the rocks with lemon juice and peel. Some time later I bought some Amaretto and recreated the experience. I made another and added some Heering.

   Even the air tasted better after that. The problem since then has been getting my hands on the elusive Cherry Heering.

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As was discussed in the original Maraschino thread, Peter Heering and Maraschino aren't quite the same thing. Maraschino is more of a cherry grappa and the Heering is more of a cherry brandy.

I just got back from some shopping on the other side of the Delaware River. The Peter Heering was on the shelf at Canal's on Route 38 in Pennsauken, as was the Stock Maraschino. Total Wine surprisingly didn't have any maraschino at all (which stunned me because that place is like the IKEA of wine & spirits) but the manager with whom I spoke said he's been getting a lot of requests for it lately, so I suggested they seek out and stock the Luxardo. I also told him to buy the Luxardo Amaretto (awesome stuff - made from real almonds not peach pits like DiSaronno) and Luxardo Triplum, which is the closest thing to Cointreau at about 8-10 bucks less a bottle I've ever tasted. I thought there was really no substitute for Cointreau available, but the Triplum is delicious. I just tasted through the line of products this morning and I'm incredibly impressed with how true the flavors are.

[lostmyshape]

yeah... heering and maraschino aren't even close. both are great, but the heering is sweet and cherry-y and the maraschino is nutty, drier, and has a funkiness i don't know how to discribe. both yummy, but have different places in cocktail making. heering is pretty easy to find in PA liquor stores also (at least in the pittsburgh-go steelers!-area).

wish i could get my hands on the other luxardo products.

Edited February 3, 2006 by lostmyshape (log)

[lancastermike]

I wonder if our friend Deidre may see this thread and comment. What makes a product go from a specialty item to a SLO? I would guess that statewide sales of Luxardo Maraschino in a year don't equal sales of Absolut vodka in a day. It is a specialty item us cocktail drinkers enjoy very much. Is it just sales? That is if a certain volume is not reached it is dropped? Is it a supply issue in that the supplier can't provide?

Perhaps Katie and I and mrbigas could form some sort of political action committee to make this an issue in the election this year. Make the candidates for Governor state their position on Maraschino liqueur.

Rendell is my guy, but if Lynn Swann comes out for a good supply of Luxardo, I'd have to think it over.

.

[stickyii]

anyone tried to SLO anything?

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I just put in an order for 1 bottle (no min requirement) of Luxardo Maraschino through their phone SLO ordering department (1-800-332-PLCB). I noticed that the preliminary half-charge was applied to my credit card, so it looks like its not that hard to get.

I also decided to pick up a bottle of Marie Brizard Orange Curacao, as I've been entrenched in the triple sec debate with myself for some time now; I know others have mentioned the challenge in getting Marie Brizard products.

I hope this has been helpful to those in PA.

-Rick

[mrbigjas]

thanks for the info rick. what kind of shipping do you have to pay for that?

[stickyii]

I don't believe any, as it goes directly to my local store. I'll let you know when I actually have the goods in hand.

[mrbigjas]

wow, that would be good news. i think i'll order up a bottle of that luxardo amaretto katie was raving about.

[lancastermike]

thanks for the info rick. what kind of shipping do you have to pay for that

I have SLO'd in the past. You do have to call as it can't be done from the website. I have found them to be very easy to deal with. It will be shipped to the store of your choice. When it arrives the store will call you. As to shipping charge, I believe the free shipping expired the first of the year. However shipping is not large.

Their ability to obtain any item depends on the distributor that handles it. The marie bizzard products are easy for them they have told me. I am very interested in seeing how it goes with the Luxardo.

From what I hear some distributors will not supply less than a case. I think this applies to wine more than spirits, however.

Good luck and please let us know how long it took for you to receive your Luxardo

[stickyii]

I will definitely report here with how things pan out.

I was very easily able to determine the minimum quantity of the product just by sending the PLCB an email (ra-lbslo@state.pa.us). This is completely determined by the specific company and can change daily. Some of my other requests (various vermouths) came back at a minimum of 6 bottles - not too horrible if you know it's something you'll use.

Edited February 8, 2006 by stickyii (log)

[KatieLoeb]

The Luxardo Amaretto is very good and a little goes a long way since the flavor is so almond-y. A small snifter after dinner or a bar spoonful in a cocktail oughta do 'ya for those applications. A little spill in your after dinner coffee would probably be quite nice too.

SLO prices for restaurants usually carry a shipping charge per bottle of between $1-$2. Let us know if that applies to consumer purchases as well, or not.

Some of my other requests (various vermouths) came back at a minimum of 6 bottles - not too horrible if you know it's something you'll use.

Something I tried yesterday for the first time at Pegu Club is the Martini & Rossi Bianco vermouth. It's listed as being available at certain specialty stores and I'm going to go pick myself up a bottle very soon. It's dry and sweet at the same time and very aromatic. It's a clear light vermouth like a dry vermouth would be, but with a more fragrant edge like a Lillet Blonde. I'm looking forward to messing with it in a few cocktails because I think this has a lot of potential as a cocktail ingredient. It's pretty inexpensive at $8 and change a bottle too.

[mrbigjas]

Something I tried yesterday for the first time at Pegu Club is the Martini & Rossi Bianco vermouth.  It's listed as being available at certain specialty stores and I'm going to go pick myself up a bottle very soon.  It's dry and sweet at the same time and very aromatic.  It's a clear light vermouth like a dry vermouth would be, but with a more fragrant edge like a Lillet Blonde.  I'm looking forward to messing with it in a few cocktails because I think this has a lot of potential as a cocktail ingredient.  It's pretty inexpensive at $8 and change a bottle too.

after the wine tasting at shacke's, i was talking to peg from the 19th st store about this very product. i really like it, and she said they kept discontinuing it and then bringing it back, and whenever they brought it back she'd sell out of it right away, and then they'd not carry it again for a while, and she'd have people asking for it.... anyway yeah, i agree, it's good stuff. sometimes i include it in a drink similar to what we used to get as a 'french martini'. use a mild gin like beefeater, a little each of m&r bianco and lillet.

i haven't had one of these in a while, and now i'm wondering if a dash of orange bitters wouldn't hurt...

[KatieLoeb]

Something I tried yesterday for the first time at Pegu Club is the Martini & Rossi Bianco vermouth.  It's listed as being available at certain specialty stores and I'm going to go pick myself up a bottle very soon.  It's dry and sweet at the same time and very aromatic.  It's a clear light vermouth like a dry vermouth would be, but with a more fragrant edge like a Lillet Blonde.  I'm looking forward to messing with it in a few cocktails because I think this has a lot of potential as a cocktail ingredient.  It's pretty inexpensive at $8 and change a bottle too.

after the wine tasting at shacke's, i was talking to peg from the 19th st store about this very product. i really like it, and she said they kept discontinuing it and then bringing it back, and whenever they brought it back she'd sell out of it right away, and then they'd not carry it again for a while, and she'd have people asking for it.... anyway yeah, i agree, it's good stuff. sometimes i include it in a drink similar to what we used to get as a 'french martini'. use a mild gin like beefeater, a little each of m&r bianco and lillet.

i haven't had one of these in a while, and now i'm wondering if a dash of orange bitters wouldn't hurt...

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I'm completely certain that the dash of orange bitters wouldn't hurt, especially if that's a flavor you like. I thought the M & R Bianco was the equivalent of a "perfect" vermouth (i.e. equal parts dry and sweet) all in one bottle. I've requested my local store to transfer in a couple of bottles for me so I'll report back on my experiments once it arrives.

In a very strange personal twist of circumstances, the very first cocktail I ever learned to mix up right was my mom's favorite Happy Hour Manhattan, which was always 2 parts whiskey (usually Seagrams V.O.) and 1 part each of sweet and dry vermouth. I started doing this at about 8 years of age. Little did she realize that she'd set me on a path from which I'd have a hard time deviating for the rest of my life...I think if I'd had the Bianco, mom would've been quite happy.

[stickyii]

Mission Successful!

Objective: SLO for Luxardo Maraschino

Timing: less than a week from order to local store

Cost: $29.58

Initial impression: By itself, it is very intense. It just borders on being cough-syrupy, but avoids it narrowly.

Aviation:

2oz Gordon's gin

1/2oz Luxardo maraschino liqueur

1/2oz lemon juice

Flamed lemon peel for garnish

I'm still deciding if I like this or not... I think I'll need to experiment with a few more drinks to see.

Next up: Waiting on Marie Brizard Orange Curacao (it's on the way)

[KatieLoeb]

Mission Successful!

Objective: SLO for Luxardo Maraschino

Timing: less than a week from order to local store

Cost: $29.58

Initial impression: By itself, it is very intense.  It just borders on being cough-syrupy, but avoids it narrowly.

Aviation:

2oz Gordon's gin

1/2oz Luxardo maraschino liqueur

1/2oz lemon juice

Flamed lemon peel for garnish

I'm still deciding if I like this or not... I think I'll need to experiment with a few more drinks to see.

Next up: Waiting on Marie Brizard Orange Curacao (it's on the way)

←

Congrats and thanks for letting us know how that went. Glad to see the SLO (which I occasionally refer to in frustration as the Shit.Outta.Luck. ) ordering system is working efficiently.

There's a whole world of cocktails you can make with the Maraschino, as I've been discovering at home lately. My latest two faves are the following:

Bourbon Crusta

2 ounces bourbon whiskey

1/2 ounce triple sec

1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur

1/2 ounce lemon juice

2 dashes orange bitters

Shake with cracked ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass

Red Feather Boa

2.0 oz. Rye

0.5 oz. fresh lemon juice

0.5 oz. maraschino

0.25 oz. (or one barspoon) Fee Brothers American Beauty Grenadine

2 dashes bitters

Shake with cracked ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass

The former is an oldie but goodie. And a very fine and well balanced cocktail it is. The latter is something I created a couple of nights ago playing with the maraschino and my new cordial syrup from Fee Brothers. I'm certain regular grenadine (like Rose's) would work, but the Fee's is really good. The liquid from the cherry jar would be too sweet and too thin. And full of Red Dye #5 to boot. <retch>

Next time you feel the urge to get something Orang-ey flavored try the Luxardo Triplum. I think you'll really like it.

I picked up a bottle of the Martini & Rossi Bianco today out at the shop in the Clemens Market in Center Square at the junction of Routes 202 & 73. (Sidenote - we city dwellers are insanely jealous that you ex-burbanites have a Wine & Spirits shop inside of a really good grocery store!) There's still a few bottles heading to South Philly for me sometime soon, but since it was there and so inexpensive I figured I couldn't have too much of it around the house. Especially if it's as hard for the Specialty shops to reorder as it seems to be. The thought of an ice cold French martini a little later this evening while I watch the snow falling outside seemed like such a good way to pass the time.