14 Cherry Liqueurs to Try

Heering Cherry Liqueur blends real cherries with bitter almonds and other baking spices for a complex flavor profile that is both earthy, fruity, and nutty. Heering is a Dutch company using a family recipe over two centuries old to elaborate their award-winning cherry liqueur. I love the cherry and almond flavor with a bitter finish.

From one of the most famous Italian candied cherry producers in the world, Luxardo Sangue Morlacco Cherry Liqueur is made from Luxardo cherry juice aged up to nine months in oak barrels. The company describes this liqueur as a “cherry wine” as the cherry juice ferments while aging in the barrels. This liqueur has a sweet and syrupy flavor and texture.

Maraska Wishniak is a Croatian distillery, and this cherry liqueur recipe has been a family secret for over five centuries. It blends various fruits as well as the leaf and petiole of the Marasca cherry. It has a sweet palate and a fragrant aroma of cherries and fruit.

From the famed Austrian Purkhart family, Rothman and Winter Orchard Cherry Fruit Liqueur is a product using local Austrian cherries harvested in the cold highlands. These experienced distillers make an eau de vie out of the cherries, which they combine with the same macerated cherries. It has a well-balanced sweet and tart cherry profile.

Volare is an Italian brandy and liqueur producer that uses a blend of local Italian cherries to make a brandy liqueur out of fermented and distilled cherry juice. They use the entire cherry, including the stone, which instills a distinct and complementary almond flavor to the cherry palate. This cherry brandy liqueur tastes wonderful in a whiskey cocktail.

Dr. McGillicuddy’s is a distillery out of Louisiana producing a line of award-winning liqueurs, and their Cherry liqueur is no exception. This liqueur has a very low alcohol content of 15% which is nearly half the abv of its competitors. This means that you get a richer and sweeter cherry flavor. I think this liqueur tastes wonderful with soda water.

New Liberty is a Pennsylvania-based distillery specializing in whiskey, rum, and vodka. Their delicious sour cherry liqueur is a century-old product introduced by the distillery’s founder to their line of spirits. This liqueur uses local Pennsylvania cherries for a bright cherry red hue and a delightfully tart cherry flavor.

This is the famed Luxardo distillery’s original recipe for cherry liqueur which debuted in 1821. It’s the gold standard of cherry liqueurs, in my opinion. Luxardo grows and harvests its own cherries for this liqueur which distills in copper pots and ages for a minimum of 4 years. It is the very definition of rich cherry flavor.

Gabriel Boudier Giugnolet is a French liqueur company founded in Dijon, France, in 1874. The original recipe still reigns supreme for their black cherry liqueur, using four different cherry varieties. This luscious liqueur has a rich yet delicate cherry flavor with a nice alcoholic burn to finish. It tastes as delicious in a cocktail as it does when drizzled over a bowl of chocolate ice cream.

Founded by Todd and Scott Leopold in 1999, Leopold Bros is an independent brewery and distillery out of Michigan. Although they moved their distillery to Colorado, they honor their Michigan origins with this delicious Michigan tart cherry liqueur using Michigan-native Montgomery cherries. This tart cherry liqueur is versatile and well-balanced, making it a great addition to the classic Manhattan.

This complex cherry liqueur is one of the newest on the scene, debuting in 2015. It uses various French cherries muddled in neutral alcohol and then blended with eau de vie from the cherries along with their brand name cognac. The result is a super intense sweet and tart cherry palate with a dry, bitter almond finish.

Hotel Tango is a hip and fashionable distillery using cool brown glass cylinders with industrial labels to serve its tasty cherry liqueur. Hotel Tango Cherry Liqueur uses Montgomery cherry juice from Michigan and alcohol. It has a sweet and powerful cherry palate with high alcohol content. The mouthfeel is light and alcohol-forward.

G.E. Massenez is a distillery and liqueur producer out of France that has been a household name since 1870. Their Crème De Griotte is a cherry liqueur made from Morello cherries. This liqueur has a dark red hue with a flavor palate that starts out tart and floral, then transforms into a sweet, candied cherry for the finish.

Winner of the American Distilling Institute’s Gold Medal, Tattersall Sour Cherry Liqueur is as alcoholic as any main spirit. It uses Michigan Montgomery cherries aged in American oak to create a baked cherry pie flavor profile with a spicy, woody finish. Tattersall Sour Cherry Liqueur is the perfect ingredient to mix into an Old Fashioned.