Bols Maraschino Liqueur 70cl

One splash and your cocktail suddenly has a spine, floral cherry, a whisper of almond, and a clean sweetness that doesn’t bully everything else. This Amsterdam-made maraschino liqueur is a classic for a reason, it doesn’t scream “cherry candy”, it adds lift, depth, and that elusive bar-cart polish.

If you’ve ever made an Aviation or Last Word at home and thought, “Why does mine taste flat?”, this is usually the missing piece. Maraschino brings the aromatic top notes and a subtle bittersweet edge that makes citrus pop and herbal spirits feel more three-dimensional.

• Nose: Floral cherry blossom, crushed cherry pits, light almond, a little orange peel.
• Taste: Bright cherry and marzipan, gentle sweetness, hints of rose and spice, with a crisp, clean profile that plays nicely with gin and rum.
• Finish: Lingering almond-cherry, lightly perfumed, with a tidy, faintly bittersweet snap.

What you’ll use it for, a lot. It’s a go-to ingredient in the Last Word (gin, green Chartreuse, lime, maraschino), the Aviation (gin, lemon, maraschino, violet if you’re feeling fancy), and the Hemingway Daiquiri (rum, lime, grapefruit, maraschino). It’s also ridiculously good at fixing “too sharp” cocktails, one small pour rounds the edges without turning the drink into dessert.

Why this one deserves shelf space is its balance. You get that signature cherry-pit aroma and almond-like richness, but it stays light on its feet, so it layers instead of taking over. That makes it insanely useful, especially if you like building cocktails with gin, dry vermouth, herbal liqueurs, or bright citrus.

Made in Amsterdam, Netherlands, it brings a little European bar history into your home setup, without the attitude. Keep it on hand and you’ll start spotting recipes everywhere that quietly rely on maraschino for their “wow, that works” moment.

Fun Fact: Bols traces its roots back to 1575, which means this Amsterdam crew has been in the flavour game since before the word “cocktail” even existed.