Lazz Cordials Maraschino

Lazz Cordials Maraschino is a maraschino liqueur made in Massachusetts. The category is built around cherry. Traditional maraschino is made from marasca cherries, pits included, and is usually clear rather than red. Expect a flavor that is more bitter almond and cherry stone than candied fruit, with a dry, slightly funky, nutty edge under the sweetness. We have no stated ABV or tasting notes for this bottling, so treat that profile as what the style usually delivers, not as a measured description of this one. Styles like this are sweet but not syrupy, and they read quite different from the neon-red syrup found in a jar of cocktail cherries. Maraschino is mainly a cocktail modifier, and it is typically used in small measures, often a quarter to a half ounce. It is a defining ingredient in the Aviation, where it sits alongside gin, lemon juice and crème de violette. It is also one of the four equal parts in the Last Word, with gin, green Chartreuse and lime. In the Hemingway Daiquiri, a bar spoon rounds out rum, lime and grapefruit. It also suits the Martinez, the Brooklyn and other whiskey and vermouth stirred drinks that want a dry cherry note instead of added sweetness. Because it is potent and slightly sweet, measure it carefully, since a heavy hand can flatten a drink. It can also be served on its own. A small pour neat in a cordial glass works as an after-dinner sipper, and it is worth trying over a large ice cube if you want it to open up slowly. For a lighter, longer drink, try a measure over ice topped with soda water and a lemon twist. The same combination works with tonic if you want a bitter counterpoint. For food, a little over vanilla ice cream, soaked into a sponge, or stirred into a fruit compote makes good use of the cherry and almond character.