Marasca cherry gives Luxardo Sour Cherry Gin its deep red colour and its immediate identity, but juniper keeps the bottle within the world of gin. Produced by Luxardo in Torreglia and bottled at 37.5% ABV, it brings together the family’s long familiarity with marasca cherry and a pronounced juniper base. The fruit is not merely a garnish around a neutral spirit: it shapes the nose, the centre of the palate and the persistent tart finish.

The recipe focuses on two clearly identified ingredients, juniper and marasca cherry. Juniper gives pine, dryness and a firm botanical line. Marasca cherry adds dark fruit, fresh acidity and the characteristic bitter-sour edge of the variety. Their contrast is the key to the gin: ripe cherry broadens the entry, while juniper and spice prevent it from becoming soft or syrupy. The natural red register also makes the bottle visually distinct from Luxardo London Dry Gin.

The nose opens on ripe sour cherry, followed by resinous juniper and a restrained spicy note. On the palate, the fruit arrives first with a rounded attack, then acidity tightens the middle and gives the cherry greater freshness. Juniper becomes clearer as the sip develops, restoring dryness beneath the fruit. The finish is persistent and tangy, with dark cherry, pine and spice remaining after the initial sweetness has receded.

Luxardo Sour Cherry Gin can bring direct fruit to a Bramble-style cocktail or a simple sour, but a restrained gin and tonic shows its contrast most clearly. Pour 5 cl over plenty of clear ice, add 10 cl of Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water and garnish with two marasca cherries. The shorter tonic measure preserves the cherry’s depth, while the clean bitterness keeps the drink refreshing and gives juniper enough room to finish the glass.