Cherry liqueur, what is it called?

The cherry liqueur is a well-known and appreciated specialty both in Italy and outside of the beautiful country. However, it is necessary to clarify a bit regarding the type of beverage and nomenclature. It is often thought that Spanish sherry, produced particularly around the famous town of Jerez de la Frontera, is a cherry liqueur. But it is not: it is a true sweet wine. Therefore, the first thing to do, to avoid misunderstandings and gaffes, is to remove Spanish sherry from our list of cherry-based liqueurs. Having done this, let’s consider the famous ratafià, which we will also explore in the next paragraph. This is a well-known cherry liqueur of Piedmontese origin. Ratafià seems to be the progenitor of cherry liqueurs, and it is produced from sour cherries. Sometimes other flavors, spices, or fruits are added, but the base consists of sour cherries and red wine. When the Abruzzese discovered ratafià, they added their best wine, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. A great wine, full-bodied and rich in anthocyanins, thus not only good and fragrant with fruit but also valuable for health. The Abruzzese Ratafia is made with sour cherries, sugar, Montepulciano, and a bit of alcohol, but not always. In general, Piedmontese ratafià is more aromatic and more similar to a liqueur, while the Abruzzese one resembles more a fortified wine than a liqueur in the strict sense. We must also mention, as a cherry liqueur, French ratafià, which is in fact a brandy, made not with sour cherries but with the residues from the pressing of grape pomace. Still from cherries, we obtain kirsch or kirschwasser, a distillate very appreciated especially in Northern Europe. We cannot forget to mention cherry brandy, a liqueur in which brandy is used instead of wine or alcohol for the fermentation of cherries. We conclude this overview of alcoholic cherry beverages by mentioning maraschino, a liqueur typical of Croatia-Dalmatia (particularly from the city of Zadar) traditionally obtained from the maceration of marasca cherries. Its alcohol content is quite high and it is made from whole cherries. It is a cherry liqueur with pits, therefore. Sometimes leaves are also added. Everything is left in alcohol and then filtered and mixed with a syrup of water and sugar. One of the most famous and oldest distilleries for the production of maraschino was Luxardo. Imagine that the bottles of maraschino were made by master glassmakers from Murano.

Cherry liqueur ratafià, what is it and why is it called that

Now that we have talked extensively about cherry liqueur, as well as the various alcoholic products and distillates based on cherries, sour cherries, and marasca more known and famous in Europe, let’s return for a second to cherry liqueur ratafià. What does ratafià mean? Why is this liqueur called that? It is soon explained. The name ratafià derives from the Latin Ut Rata Fiat, which was used to conclude the ratification of an agreement or the signing of a contract. An ancient Latin expression, which testifies that, after signing contracts, the agreement was sealed with a small glass of liqueur. Hence the name Ratafià.

Grandma's cherry liqueur recipe

Cherry liqueur: grandma's recipe. Everyone looks for it and everyone tries to remember how their grandmothers prepared this pleasant alcoholic infusion based on cherries. Well. Grandma's recipe is really simple. Get half a kg of ripe cherries. They could be ripe duroni, or ferrovia cherries, feel free to choose the regional variant you know best. Clean and pit the cherries. Some prepare cherry liqueur with the pits, but grandmothers usually remove them. Place the cherries in a liter of alcohol and let them ferment well. Occasionally, turn and shake the bottle to achieve an even infusion. After two weeks, prepare a syrup with 800 grams of sugar and a liter of water. Dissolve everything well over high heat and when a syrup has formed, let it cool. Then filter the cherries and bottle them. Grandma's secret is to add a glass full of homemade red wine to the preparation: the sweetest wine you have.

Abruzzese cherry liqueur, one of the most appreciated

In the vast, tasty, and interesting panorama of cherry liqueurs, the Abruzzese cherry liqueur certainly stands out. As mentioned a few paragraphs above, the Abruzzese cherry liqueur is definitely one of the most liked by the general public as it is delicate and not excessively alcoholic, compared to other typical products from other Italian regions. Today it is possible to prepare a decent and pleasant homemade cherry liqueur without too much effort. The Bimby cherry liqueur can be a quick solution to obtain a good product to serve either on ice or neat. The Bimby kitchen robot is a great ally in the kitchen because it allows you to create excellent recipes of very good quality in a short time and without the risk of making mistakes. All you need to do is buy the best raw materials, as we will never tire of repeating.